


Upside down & Inside out

by sweetsnicket



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Apocalypse, Assassination, F/M, Family, Romance, Slow Build, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:07:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 92,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26864125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetsnicket/pseuds/sweetsnicket
Summary: A slow burn romance. Y/N Gussman is Elliott's adopted sister, who unlike her brother is more grounded, caring and calculated. She'll meet the Hargreeves siblings; falling in love with the so-called Kraken and befriending Number Five. Gaining friends and an enemy, Y/N Gussman will have her life turned upside down and inside out.It will be based on Season 2, following an original story, an alternative Season 3.
Relationships: Diego Hargreeves & Reader, Diego Hargreeves/Original Female Character(s), Diego Hargreeves/Reader, Everyone & Reader
Comments: 88
Kudos: 62





	1. Flashy Encyclopedias

**Author's Note:**

> First chapter is meant to be a prologue, an interaction between a brother and a sister. However, things change as Elliott's three years of obsessive work leads to discovery of a brainiac child, called Five. 
> 
> Word count:3341 (MEANT TO BE A PROLOGUE, I'M SORRY I COULDN'T BE STOPPED)
> 
> Enjoy!

September. Never too cold here in Dallas, Texas. A slight breeze in the evening, and a couple of cloudy days here and there. Thunder and lightning wasn't that common back here either, especially not during the colder seasons,but one Elliott Gussman has seen it at least six times.

'Look Y/N,' Elliott shows a photo of a dark figure, landing gracefully in the alleyway, close to his home. His home wasn't standard; an ex-television store, turned into a loft-kind of apartment. Spacious, yet unusual for just accommodation. Photos of unclear figures, pinned to a board, with newspaper cut outs, red strings connecting each in certain way.

'Oh, dear.. Another one, huh?' A curious whisper followed by a sigh echoes through the space, Elliott calls home. He does not have the riches, especially not since he experienced the unusual lightning-type appearances; a successful businessman, who gave up everything for the unknown. Belief in extraterrestrial seemed bizarre and crazy to most, including his family and friends, but he had one close sibling, who was never doubtful of Elliotts faith.

'That's unbelievable... Sixth time this year?' His sister shrugs. His adopted sister. How Y/N became part of the Gussman family, she does not remember. Being taken in as an infant, she grew up in a family, that gave her as much love and care as they could. Her strong bond with her older brother, led to her strong beliefs in the unknown and the unusual, which only made her and Elliotts' bond even stronger. Elliott veers behinds his sister, pointing at the dark figure.

'I tried following it for a bit' He shifts in his position, handing the Polaroid picture to his sister. 'It looks human- I mean, he? Anyway,-' Elliott rushes towards the pin board, he's made. He quickly snatches, what seems to be a newspaper cut out, with an article and a picture of a man in custody. 'Looks like the same person-' Elliot pauses, as he points to the Polaroid and back to the newspaper picture. 'If you look closely, they both have something around their waist and chest, like a harness-' Elliott's breath quickens, his hands starting to shake, as he's pointing circles at the figures. 'So there could be a chance, that this, uh, thing, man... Is the same as in the photograph'. Elliott feels his sisters gaze fixated on him, concern written across her face.

'Elliott...' She breathes looking back at the newspaper article, her brow slowly creasing as she reads what it actually says. Y/N pushes a strand of hair behind her ear, but it loosely falls back, covering half of her face. 'It says the man has been put to a psychiatric hospital.' She huffs. 'It's not like we can go in and ask why he presumably fell out of the sky.' She shrugs in defeat, her hand slowly, yet firmly resting on Elliott's shoulder. His new obsession became a burden, as well as a blessing to Y/N. Her life seemed mundane, tedious and dull as hell. Her social circle was limited to a few acquaintances; their parents have passed due to an old age, leaving just the two of them.

'Hey...' Y/N smiled at Elliott, her palm gently shaking his shoulder, a cheerful grin spreading across her face. His breath slows down, as he releases a light snicker. 'We have six occurrences, all recorded by you' She gives Elliott a reassuring smile once again. 'It's pretty much clear, that they must be connected, right?' Y/N raises her eyebrow, quickly pointing at the board at the side of them. 'So how about You make us some tea..' She swiftly walks towards the record player. 'I put on some music..' Quickly, yet gently she takes a record out of the sleeve, placing it carefully on the record player. A slight scratch echoes through the second floor of the place, as a sharp sound of trumpets fill the rest of the area. Papa Loves Mambo by Perry Commo starts playing, Y/N dances into the kitchen, her shoulders shaking to the beat of the mambo melody.

'...And we sort through papers tomorrow, it's getting late and I have to go home soon anyway'. The word home came off slightly bitter; where she lived, she wouldn't call it home, at least it didn't feel like home. Y/N was living with an elderly woman, Beatrice, a German lady, with a heart in the right place, but strict nonetheless. She did not want to be a burden to her older brother, who struggled to maintain his home as it was. Additionally, Beatrice was also quite generous, as she would let Y/N live with her for free, in exchange for assistance and aid, which Y/N believed was a natural trait of hers. The Gussman family were very generous, thoughtful and emphatic towards those in need, a trait that Y/N carried with her, with pride. Therefore, although living with Beatrice never felt, like truly being at home, she was glad she could help someone, especially those in need. Once the music fell into the background, and light chatter filled the room, Elliott was putting away freshly washed teacups in to a cupboard, right above the sink.

'Oh by the way, Y/N, if you don't mind, can you grab the photograph and pin it with the newspaper onto the board? Pin them on the same pin, 'cause I believe they are definitely connected.' Elliott mumbles as he gently wipes tea leaves out of the kitchen sink. Cookie in her mouth, Y/N only manages to nod, as she quickly stands up, grabbing the items off the table. She hums to the melody of the record player, as she lazily approaches the pinboard, her eyes fixated on the picture in the newspaper cut-out. Her eyes narrow as she takes in the details of the so-called person in the picture. Dark eyes, a tired look in his gaze, yet full of determination. Two distinct scars graced on their cheek and eyebrow, almost as they we're meant to be there. Although the picture was black and white, it was evident, that they carried features of a more Mexican, or maybe Cuban individual, than what you usually see here, in Dallas. However, one thing Y/N could definitely conclude; the person was a nice sight to look at. A slight rush of blood filled her cheeks, as the thought of finding someone, something, of unclear origin, attractive came off as the most ridiculous idea. As Y/N delicately pins Elliott's collected evidence to the pin board, she gives the picture one more prying look, embedding features of their face into her memory.

Once, Y/N finished, she collects her belongings, wave Elliott goodbye and dips though the entrance. A hush wind hums through the garbage cans and into the alley way, the one that leads into the main streets, and the same one that welcomed six unknown individuals into the southern comfort. After all, they do say Texans are the most welcome. Y/N lashes flutter up into the sky, a hue of blues and purples indicate that it's, in fact, time to go home to Beatrice and get some rest. Hesitantly, she steps forward, her body wanting to stay in the position, as if waiting for another occurrence, falling spontaneously out of the sky. Her nose scrunches at the thought again 'I'm turning into Elliott' Y/N huffs under breath, a light, sarcastic laugh leaving her mouth. Her steps quicken, as she disappears into the crowd.

___________________________________________________________

'Y/N!' Elliott hissed, quickly snapping the curtains of his window shut. Y/N shoots him a confused glance, an eyebrow raising involuntary. 'You need to hide!' He swishes his hands, shooing his sister into his bedroom. As his sister resists, a questioning look on her face

'Elliott!' She pushes back at him, her arms crossed as a shield and a stronger push, against her much taller brother, 'What, on earth, are you doing???' She raises her voice, enough to sound agitated.

'The sixth flash. IT just saw me! They came back here, after last night!' Elliott's voice loud, hint of excitement and fear in it.'Oh shoot.. What if they want to come here?? Should I let them in??' Elliott murmurs to himself, as he's pushing his sister into his bedroom for safety.

they pushed each other around, a knock is heard, at the bottom of the stairs. Y/N and Elliott share a panicky look, as Y/N quickly steps back into the bedroom, and slams the door, her silhouette disappearing behind the matte glass of the door. A faint sound of a dialogue is echoed through the bedroom, something about selling encyclopedias. Unrecognisable voice sounds somewhat of a young, teenage boy. Calm, monotone and somewhat mechanic. The sound of the door shutting follows, which suggests to Y/N that it is safe to come out. Without hesitation, she rips the door open, rushing into the living room area. Just as Elliott rushes upstairs, to meet his sister midway, a flash snaps bang in the middle of the two. Elliott lets out a sharp yell, as Y/N stumbles, falling onto a sofa. A boy, around the age of 12 or 13, stands in between the Gussman siblings. His stance is crouched, almost ready to pounce. As he takes in the surroundings, his eyes snap back at Elliott, who's slowly backing away towards his pinboard.

'You..' The boys voice trails off, his sharp finger pointing towards Elliott's direction.

'Are you an alien?' Elliott blurts out, without pause. A slight groan can be heard from Y/Ns direction, as she slams her palm to her face. As if on cue, Elliott straightens himself out, standing taller than the boy in front of him. His stance shaky, careful steps crawling closer to the individual standing a few feet away.

'Come closer and I'll melt your brain.' The boys eyes narrow, as a crooked grin splashes across his face. Elliots hands raise in defeat, as he halts, his eyes looking down to his own feet.

'Please..' A gentle whisper escapes Y/N mouth. She's still toppled over onto the sofa, strands of her hair messily laid onto her face, feet facing inward. The boys head snaps towards the voice, his eyes searching curiously. As Y/N gulps, she sits up 'We don't mean no harm..' She mimics her brother and raises her hands up, showing surrender. The mysterious boy turns his whole body in her direction, his fists sternly placed on his hips. At least, he's willing to listen. Y/N stands up, carefully approaching the teen. She holds her breath, as she's getting closer. Her right hand slowly, yet steadily rising towards the individual, a gentle smile covering her face, trying to mask the sheer panic she's currently feeling.

'I-m, Y/N. This is my brother Elliot-' She raises her eyebrows towards her sibling. 'I believe we can help you.' Her tone more assertive. She firmly believes that, which is visible to the boy standing in front of her. His eyes dart to the hand, that's being held in front of him, and then across the area they're in. He's hesitant, his gaze digesting his surroundings, like an animal in the wild. 'They call me Five'. Suddenly the boy blurts out, in his monotone, mechanic voice. Five swiftly sticks his hands into his pockets, signalling Y/N that a handshake is a bit too early for.

'Hey.. Why is it always an anal probe?' Elliott blubbers out again, this time both Five and Y/N gazes threateningly averted to Elliott.

'Elliott!' Y/N snarls at her brother. Instinctively, he raises his hands up again, realising his mistake.

'Five..' She hesitates, shuffling in the spot, she's standing. 'If my brothers not mistaken, you've landed last night..' She drifts, walking around Five, towards the kitchen. Carefully, keeping her distance, she turns around in between the entrance. 'Have you eaten anything? Drank anything?' Eventually, Y/N had to admit; she was staring at a 13 year old boy, who probably hasn't had any food or liquids in him for at least 18 hours. Five's threatening crouch was relaxing, his shoulders lowered, face almost slightly softened.

'You got any coffee? Black?' He raises his eyebrow. Y/N looks pleased, a grin flashing her face. Another soul in need, and Gussman siblings are here to help.

'Sure thing, hun' Her southern twang leaks out, as she attempts to make the atmosphere less hostile. 'And with coffee? You must have something with your coffee?' Y/N's hospitality takes Five aback. His face scrunches into slight confusion; not due to the question raised, but due to the reception, he's receiving. If he wouldn't know the fact, that his, and his other siblings selves landed 50 years back, he wouldn't raise an eyebrow. However, now he's a man from the future, a man in a teenagers body.. From the future. A man with special powers, that were displayed the second he met the people. Besides Elliotts cliched questions, these people were alright. And since Five's on a mission to find his family, he needs all the support he can get.

'Hey.. Uh Y/N?' Five rushes after her. 'Do you happen to have peanut butter and marshmallows?' His voice much smoother, finally matching that teenage face of his.

'Uhm, I've bought some ages ago..' Y/N thinks out loud, drifting through the kitchen. As she passes the radio, she quickly turns it on a smooth melody of Come Prima by Marino Marini, a serene sound to further repress the stiffness in the air. Music was a tool Y/N used often; to disperse tension, cheer up or just have a good time. Living with an elderly meant loud music wasn't allowed, so her brothers apartment was a place, where she could relax and launch herself into the music, she adored so much.

'Ah' Y/N smiles, pointing at a cupboard, above the counter. 'We've got everything.' She grins again, this time facing Five. Carefully, he smiles back. However, his eyes are still apprehensive, which they should. It's been around 20 minutes; Elliott hasn't moved from his spot, completely flabbergasted. Y/N gives the biggest grin, yet her palms are filled with cold sweat. It's intense.

'I'll get you a nice cup of black coffee in a sec. Why don't you take a seat?' Y/N smiles again, waving her hand towards the table. Five slumps on the chair, his back resting against the wall. This way he felt safer, no attacks from behind. Elliot shuffles towards the kitchen, and carefully takes a seat, opposite the boy. Five sits still, yet his fingers seem to shake and tap the surface of the table, restless, as a man on a search could be. Elliott's sister carefully places two cups of black coffee in front of the men. The aroma of bittersweet coffee fills the kitchen, as steam from each cup dances into the ceiling. Five snatches the cup, busying his hands with it.

'Are you sure it's okay for you to have coffee? At this age?' Elliott quips, taking a big sip of his own coffee, before he asks any more unnecessary questions.

'Would you believe me, if I'd say that I'm actually a 60 year old man?' Five questioned in a serious tone. Y/N rested against the kitchen counter, her eyes jumping from Elliott's face, and back to Fives. There were no jokes, and what she had seen in the last half hour, nothing is a joke. In the next hour, Five discreetly answers many questions, mostly from Elliott. He moderately explains his powers, that he's in search of his family, and that Y/Ns made coffee is probably one of the better one's he's ever tasted.

'Very close to the coffee, that I used to have, back where I worked..' Five shrugged. To Y/N this almost fell like a dream; at this point everything, and nothing, made sense. No questions asked. She's startled by Five slamming his cup loudly onto the table. Taking final bites out of his sandwich, he quickly rushes, his mouth still full, towards the pinboard. Carefully analysing it, his eyes dart to the clipping of a newspaper, where a familiar obnoxious face was staring right back at him.

'Diego...' His brow furrowed, lips tight shut. His face reappears in the doorway of the kitchen, hand lazily pointing towards the board. Without hesitation, Elliot and Y/N jog towards Five, all three now facing the pinboard, Elliott spent three years making. 'That's my brother' Five inhales, as he's reading the title of the article.

'I heard on the radio, that he was arrested..-' Elliott trails.

'But for some reason they've sent him to a psychiatric hospital..-' Y/N added. 'Something about JFK' her face wrinkled in confusion, as she heard herself talk. Five's eyes could've rolled back into his head and come back from the other side. How typical for a vigilante, a wannabe hero.

'So.. What's his deal?' Y/N inquires. She's intrigued; there's so much to know and find out, and her and her sibling actually have a chance of getting that information. Nonetheless, Y/N cannot avoid, the sudden urge to find out more, or even meet Five's mysterious brother. Why has he been placed to a mental hospital? Why is Five reacting rather passively at that? As on cue, Five swiftly turns around, a sarcastic smirk growing on his face.

'Imagine Batman' He pauses his hand lowering below his chest, the smirk not abandoning his face 'Then aim lower' he emphasises with his wrist shaking below his chest.

'Anyway' Five suddenly claps his hands, giving a tight, mechanic smile. 'I have to go and look for my siblings.' He says thoughtfully. 'Hopefully I come back with all of them..' He hesitates. 'Or at least what's left of them' He shrugs, almost talking to himself. Five's gaze turns to Y/N and Elliott 'I hope you do not mind, if me and my siblings pick this place as a safe spot?' One eyebrow raised slightly, his eyes moving to Elliott, a questioning look on his teenage face.

'Uh, n-no, of course not.'Elliot shrugs, as if he'd want to say no. Three years of hard work, a huge sacrifice and finally, bit by bit its coming to fruition.

'Great' Five's lips shut tight, as his hands go back into his pockets. He stops, reluctantly, pulling out a film, which he carefully places next to the radio and piles of pictures, which, as he quickly glances, are of his siblings. 'I'll be back in a flash' Five smiles, his full set of teeth showing as he poofs into nothing, a quick beam blinding the siblings, as if a really bright camera took a picture.

'Surely, we'll get used to it... Right?' Y/M mutters, as she carefully rubs her eyes. Few hours passed and as the street lamps, shining through the thin fabric of the kitchen window suggested, it was well before the time, Y/N had to be back to help out Beatrice with her dinner. 'Darn it, Elliott. I've gotta go' His sister lets out a huff. 'I'll tell Beatrice, that I will come back late tomorrow.' She thinks out loud. Y/N was determined, finally something that she waited for, as excitedly, as Elliott. Her brother wasn't even listening, his gaze was distant, million thoughts running through his mind, new information, new details, that he could add to the pinboard, he worked so hard on.

'Uh-huh' that's all he muttered. Y/N sighed, as she collected her belongings. Gracefully moving around the apartment, she prepared a light snack for her brother, a freshly brewed pot of coffee, and soothing jazz that would help him concentrate on his thoughts. Before leaving, his sister stopped by him, giving him a quick peck on the forehead.

'See you tomorrow, brother.' She waves, as she's heading downstairs, her dress flowing carelessly. 'Coffee's on the kitchen counter, as well as some tuna sandwiches!' She yells out from downstairs. 'Oh, and I've thrown out the food you've made!' Y/N grins 'I think it tried talking to me!' A slight chuckle left her mouth; at that point she didn't mind, that her brother didn't listen. Another day, another adventure awaits.


	2. Enemy of the People

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Right, just a thank you to those who read, especially appreciate the feedback, it's so nice to hear from ya'll. 
> 
> This chapter was tricky, as it's more of a transitional chapter.. However, I still manage to write a whole ton! I hope this turns out great!  
> In short, the Gussman siblings meet Fives sibling Diego, a slight mention of his powers and.. It's more of a transition to the next chapter, where, like in the show, Diego gets injured.
> 
> Anyways, hope you enjoy it! And once again, thank you, for reading it!
> 
> P.S. I have realised Elliotts father was a dentist, so I've literally changed one sentence to be more canon.

Morning. A slight fog lies onto the pavement outside the diner, like a blanket gently covering the ground. It was an early morning, the sun lazily rising, the sky blue and orange. A sound of a wet mop echoes, as it splats against the black and white tiles, Y/N attentively moving the mop in zig-zag motion, cleaning between the tables and chairs, random strands of hair falling onto her face messily. She huffs the hair out of her face, just for it to land back on it again. Her job as a cleaner at a local diner paid barely anything; however it was close to her home,as well as her brothers, it paid enough for food and clothes, and she always finished her job early. At this point she couldn't feel more blessed, that by three in the afternoon, she was as free as a bird, to do whatever. A blend of eagerness and anxiety ran through her body, as she clumsily rushed towards her home. Keys carelessly jiggling into the keyhole, as the door squeaks open.

'Y/N? Is that you?' An elderly voice calls out from the living room. A slight hint of an accent, and a questioning tone of Beatrice snaps Y/N back into reality.

'Good afternoon, Beatrice. How are you? Have you eaten?' She peeks her head into the living room, turning back and swiftly taking her shoes off. Beatrice liked a clean house, and for what she's given to Y/N, Y/N did as Beatrice obliged. 'There's a vegetable stew, that I-' Y/N yells followed by grunts, as she struggles to take off her uniform. '-made, it's still good today.' Her hands roam through her tiny wardrobe, setting on a black jumpsuit; a slight shoulder reveal, yet a higher neckline, a polo neck to be precise.

'Hey, Beatrice' Y/N sticks her head out the door once again, facing the living room. 'I'm going to my brothers place, I might be coming home late, so please do not wait for me. I will be fine,-' She rushes to put on a pair of black flats, one final look in the mirror. Loose strands of hair covering the sides, of her forehead; she can't keep them in place, and she knows that. '-and if something happens, I'll simply call from my brothers telephone, yeah?' She sighs, as she reaches for the handle, yelling her goodbyes to the old lady, as she rushes through the door. Beatrice only nods, lounging in her rocking chair, Für Elise softly as a whisper, playing on the record player.

  
Her skin is damp, covered in sweat. Y/N was practically running to Elliott's apartment, hair messily draped across to the face. Her jumpsuit gently sticks to her wet skin, as she unlocks and opens her brothers apartment door. It was deaf silence, not a single crack or hum. She complied to the silence, as she quietly got up the stairs to the main living area. A gun cocks close to her eye sight, as Elliott, rifle in hand, points it at his sister, the sound echoing throughout the apartment. Instead of sheer panic, his sister crosses her arms, sighing and getting closer to her brother.

'You need to stop' Y/N rolls her eyes, as she carefully takes the rifle out of her brothers hands. He ponders for a second longer, before he gives it up completely. Due to his obsessive research into Five and his siblings, it's not the first time, Elliott attempts to prepare for the worst. Name it; aliens, FBI, the president, he felt they were all after him, after his findings.

'Look-' Elliott points at his sister, this time. 'Remember when Five left a piece of film on this table' Elliott points to his pin board, and a cabinet below.

'Uhh..' Y/N tries to remember, only picturing the fine details of his brothers face, straight from the newspaper clipping.

'I watched it..' Elliott gulps, sheer panic on his face. He approaches his sister, his hands on her face. She pushes the rifle, she's carrying further away from her brother, confusion slowly taking over her face.

'And..?' She raises her eyebrow, puzzled. Elliott releases, struggling to find words, he looks around his apartment, chaos reflecting in his eyes.

'Okay...Okay, so I saw the film..' Elliott gulps again, his hand going through his hair. 'The way it looks' Elliott hesitates 'It looks like the President is shot! Assassinated!Dead on the spot!' He exclaims, his hands helplessly waving in front of his sister. Y/N cannot hide sheer panic, staring at her brother.

'You've lost your darn mind..' She whispers, more to herself, than to him.

'Look, Y/N. I saw it, okay? JFK is coming to Dallas soon right? In this film..' He shakes the film in front of her face, her face scrunching in annoyance. 'It shows that he gets shot... Obviously, I doubt he survives it...' Elliott loses himself in his thought process again.

'You shouldn't have watched it' Y/N warns, her eyes fixated on the film. 'It's not ours, and maybe there's an explanation..' She shrugged, placing her purse onto the sofa, as she walks around the apartment. Elliott shakes his head in response, his eyes alight with anger, confusion and fascination. Y/N rolls her shoulders, trying to shake off all the anxiety she has experienced in the last 10 minutes.

'I'm going to make us some pancakes..' She mutters, as she slowly struts into the kitchen, rifle in hand. She places it carefully at the end of the kitchen counter, as she's searching for ingredients. 'Oh shoot..' Y/N swears under her breath. 'You haven't been to the store have you?' She sighs, as she's looking at the fridge, her face slowly popping out, to meet her brothers gaze. 'Can I borrow your car?' She suggested, shrugging. 'There's no eggs, there's no nothing, like do you even visit a store nowadays?' Y/N questions.

Before Elliott can answer, shuffling his pockets for the keys, she yanks them out of his grasp and slides down the stairs. A loud thud follows, as she sits down in to the drivers seat; her head slams against the seat, a loud groan, escaping her mouth. She felt overwhelmed; anxiety wasn't foreign to her, yet this time it all felt too surreal. Y/N felt the need to be calm in front of her sibling, yet now being in this vehicle on her own, that's when her weakness started to show. It felt like it was too much. There's a film? Our president arrives, accordingly. Gets shot. This isn't happening for a week at least. Y/N face scrunches into a confused look, her hand on the gear, as she slowly shifts it to drive. Why have those six flashes appeared in Elliotts alley??? As hundreds of questions pass her mind, she drives off into the busy streets of Dallas, in search of the nearest supermarket.

_______________________________________________

'Are you, or are you not the enemy of the people!?'Elliott exclaims, his rifle pointed sharply at the guests. An awkward pauses passes through the room.

'I'd say it's an open question' a dark haired man suggested to his brother, as his friend stood in the middle of them. Leaning in, he murmurs something, to his much younger sibling, before turning to face the woman next to him. 'Hey Lila...' The dark haired man distracted his companion, as his brother, in a flash, yanked the rifle out of Elliotts grasp, passing it swiftly to his sibling. Diego carefully removes the bullets, placing the rifle steadily against the couch.

'Relax!' Five exclaimed, as he turned around to face his sibling, and then Elliott. 'Like, I've mentioned before' He raises his hands, just as Elliott and his sister did, the day before. 'I mean no harm..' Five breathes, his sibling and a companion standing behind, Five's body fully facing Elliott.

'What's on that film, huh?? What exactly IS there??' Questions firing from Elliotts mouth, like bullets. Five opens his mouth, pausing to structure his answer better, he hums in thought. As if on cue, the front door opens, a quiet shuffle, sound of paper bags brushing against each other, startling the four individuals upstairs. Steady steps approach the second floor, as Y/N carefully stalks upstairs, two big paper bags in hand.

'I got you everything for the next week, in case you decide, not to leave the house again...' Her voice drifts, as her steps stop to a halt. Five and two strangers standing in front of her, the rifle placed in the living room and a face that she felt she has seen before. Her eyes jump to her brother, then to the rifle and then to Five. As Five reads her expression, realising she'd be easier to negotiate with, he quickly turns on his heel and walks towards Y/N.

'Not the one to admit it, but I am glad to see you here..' Five hesitates, his hands quickly falling into his pockets. 'As your brother clearly had different thoughts' He quickly turns to face Elliott, set in stone, no movement, just a lone drip of sweat forming onto his forehead. 'Like I promised.' Five grins, his tight lipped, mechanic grin. 'I found my siblings, and managed-' He nods to the shaggy haired man '-To bring one' He points his index finger.

'Diego..' He exhales, sarcastically turning to the pinboard, where a newspaper cut out was hung. 'Plus a companion... ' Five rolls his eyes. 'Lila, was it?' He gritted his teeth, his eyes ignoring the woman, standing next to Diego. She looked at Y/N, grinning widely, almost too wide.

'That's right, sweetheart.' She steps forward, hand in the air. 'I'm Lila. Me and Diego were placed in a mental hospital together' She says casually. As Y/N eyes narrow, her hand slowly raises to meet Lila's in a shake, that you could call the most awkward to date. Her big, dark brown eyes studying Y/N face, curiosity and smugness reflecting on her own.

'Your face is pretty' Lila concludes. Her right hand reaches for Y/N face, pinching it, perhaps a little too strong for Y/N liking. As she steps away from the peculiar woman, her eyes dart to her brother. They go wide, as Elliott, mouth taped shut, is being tied to a dentist chair. Their dads chair, of course.

'Oh no, no' Y/N yells, franticaly waving her hands. 'No, no.. Wha-what are you doing? Why is he being tied up?' She quickly approaches Five and his brother, Diego. As Diego ties up a knot, he turns.

'He had a gun on us.' He says calmly, turning back. 'I just met him' He grunts, as he tightens the grip on the knot. 'Therefore, I don't trust him.' Diego explains as he turns around, fully facing Y/N. He stands taller, a shaggy beard and messy hair, much longer than in the newspaper cut out. A few strands closing in onto his face, yet his eyes perfectly visible. A deep shade of brown; a stare, that would seem deadly, yet with a hint of empathy and kindness.

'We are being cautious, that's all' Five adds nonchalantly, as he removes himself from the room with a flash, flashing back with a cup of coffee. Diego doesn't move from his spot, his eyes narrowing as he stares at Y/N, as if analysing. After what felt like hours to Y/N, he cautiously steps forward. She can feel her heart beat quicken, her mouth open as to take as much air as possible, preparing herself for only God knows what. Her hands start to tremble slightly at her sides, as Five intercepts.

'Be nice' he murmurs into the cup, as he finishes it off, disappearing and reappearing, this time with the whole pot of coffee. 'Y/N makes great coffee' Five grins.

Diego's gaze shifts between his brother and the woman standing in front of him, his posture changing, shoulders loosen up. He takes another step towards Y/N, this time gently raising his hand for a handshake.

'We weren't properly introduced' Diego gives a small smile, his eyes darting to his feet, almost a shy demeanour. Hesitantly, Y/N raises her right hand, a slight tremor, damp from cold sweat.

'My name is Y/N-' She inhales sharply. 'I'm Elliotts sister' the last part coming out almost a whisper. Noticing her unsteady hand, Diego quickly, yet lightly cups her sweaty palm. It's careful, and soft, almost like nothings touching her. Only warmth and comfort, which immediately helps her shoulders relax. She looks up, realising he's looking straight at her, his eyes fixated on hers. This time his eyes softened, sympathetic. Y/N would feel completely at ease, if not Elliotts panicked face staring at her, behind Diego. She quickly lets go, releasing an awkward cough.

'Someone mentioned a movie night!' Lila exclaimed, impatiently tapping her wrist. Rushing past Y/N, gently nudging her shoulder as she walks by. Y/N looks at Five and then at her brother; shrugging she mouths a 'Sorry' to her brother, as she slumps on a chair, across from him.

____________________________________________________________________

  
'No way' Diego jumps off of the counter, wandering towards the screen, where Five stood.

'Who is it?' Lila raises her eyebrow, as she's painting Elliotts toe nails, eyes narrowed in concentration. Y/N can only stare at her own nail polish, that she misplaced in this apartment a few years ago. Knowing, what Five could do, she decided not to question this whole ordeal.

'Dad' Five and Diego uttered in unison, their eyes narrowing as they try to see better into the film, that's paused in front of them. A tall, slender figure, stands with an umbrella; just as a black Lincoln Continental passed the figure, shots were fired and one of the individuals in the car, presumably John F. Kennedy collapses onto his wife. Y/N's eyes widen, as she realises that it's an actual footage, a recognizable location, here in Dallas, and a president, whose all alive and well in this moment. Her brother was right.

However, her curiosity got the best of her, as she blurted out 'Dad?!?'. She quickly smacked her mouth, a bit too hard. That shouldn't have come out loud. Dad? A father? The Gussman siblings never received a clear answer, as to whether these people were human in the first place; sure they looked human, but what Five did, was definitely out of this world. After all, they've just met. Her loud burst brought the brothers back to reality, as Diego frowned.

'It's a.. Long story' He spoke softly, almost to himself.

'Okay' Five fixes his blazer. 'One thing we know, is that dad's here,' He points to the ground.'In Dallas.' Five continues, as he's walking towards his pot of coffee. By now, it was empty, as the thirteen year old-looking old man, drank around 5 cups within half hour of being there. 'All we need to do, is find him, get some answers out.' He gently shakes the coffee pot, looking inside, as to see if he hasn't missed a single drip of coffee.

'How are we going to find him? Dallas is pretty damn big, he could be anywhere' Diego leans in, his brows furrowing. Five only manages to stare back, his eyes squinted, as if he's trying to process his brothers words.

'I'll go fetch the telephone book..' Y/N interrupts, quickly glancing at Five. 'And make some coffee, too.' She carefully treads past the brothers, as she walks past, gently taking the coffee pot out of Five's hand, his glare still fixated on his brother. As she walks into the kitchen, she can hear a faint 'Idiot', as Diego tuts and walks away from Five.

'Okay' Y/N huffs, sitting on a stool in front of the telephone book, the two brothers towering over her. Coffee machine faintly buzzes in the background as the pot slowly fills with the dark goodness, Five seems to obsess about.

'Name?' Y/N asks.

'Hargreeves, Reginald Hargrvees' Again, in unison, Diego and Five exchange annoyed looks, returning back to the telephone book. Y/N squint, as her index finger slowly moves down the list.

'Aha' She says quietly, tapping at an address. 'This must be him, right?' Five slowly nods, reading the address once more, to remember. A slight ray of light, falling onto the table, suggested that it was way past in the evening, street lamps brightly shinning through the curtains.

'We need to stall a bit, and then we'll go at night' Five thinks aloud, cup of coffee in hand.

'Isn't it a bit late to visit your father at night?' Y/N scrunched her face in confusion.

'Let's just say, our dear old dad is a night owl' He grins, grin so big, his eyes are squinting. Some sort of sarcasm or pungency flashing in his eyes.

'Perhaps you wanna have a decent meal, before you go?' She shrugs, looking back to Diego, who hasn't stopped looking at the phone book. After a long pause, Diego finally speaks

'I could eat. If it doesn't involve shitty bacon, or out of date bread.' He grumbles, his eyes fixated onto the book.

'I was planning to make pancakes..' Y/N voice drifts, as she's waiting for a confirmation at least from one of the siblings.

'Then pancakes it is' Five turns around to leave, his tone disinterested. Y/N stands up, fixing her jumpsuit, and starts pulling out ingredients out of the paper bags.

'So..' She sighs, she hates awkward silences. 'Your brother has... Uh... Abilities..' Her voice drifts, as she's swiftly mixes all the dry ingredients into a bowl. 'Do you.. ' She pours in the egg and milk mixture. 'Uhm, have any?' Y/N, bowl in hand, turns around as she's gently mixing up the batter, a small smile crawling onto her face. Diego responds by turning around also, his thighs casually resting on the table behind, arms crossed in front of his chest.

'Trajectory manipulation.' He says confidently, a small smirk appearing on his face. Y/N returns the smirk, looking around as if looking for something, she shrugs

'Care to elaborate?' her eyebrows raised in question. Diego looks at her for a moment, his hand casually moving to his back pocket. A small, shiny knife is presented in front of Y/N.

'Go stand there' He commands, pointing with his knife at the spot between the doorway and kitchen sink. Y/N pauses, giving him a nervous look.

'Y/N. I'm not gonna hurt you, please.' His tone is friendly, assuring. The way her name comes out of his mouth is almost heart-warming; so smooth and pleasant. He lets out a light chuckle, before he points at the spot again. Y/N complies, reluctantly dragging her feet towards the kitchen sink. She can see into the other room, where Lila is finishing with Elliotts toe nails. Before Y/N could question any further the small dagger is thrown into her direction. She freezes, her hands holding onto the bowl tightly. She wants to squeeze her eyes shut, but she cannot, holding her breath, she fixates on to oncoming dagger. Guess that is a way to go, a dagger to the face. So much for a nice funeral, when your face has a dagger stuck in it. As her life flashes before her eyes, the dagger quickly changes direction, charging towards Elliott. A quiet sleek woosh, and the rope gracefully falls off of Elliott, onto the floor.

'What the HELL was that?' Lila yelps, as she jumps backwards from Elliott. Y/N lets out the breath she was holding, a laughter that came off more from sheer panic, than from awe.

'Impressive' Y/N breathed out, carefully putting the batter onto the kitchen counter, her hands shaking. Diego stands up, smiling slyly, pride beaming out of him like a ray of light.

'Thanks' He walks past Y/N, towards Elliott's chair. 'Hey big man.' Diego grins at Elliott, who slumps even deeper into his dentist chair, his eyes looking anywhere but at the man in front of him. 'We're the good guys, we're here to save the president' He slaps Elliotts shoulder, as he bends over to pick up his knife. Lila huffs, rolling her eyes. Elliott manages to make a sound, that can only be defined as a squeak of terror or hysteria. Slowly he gets up, looking down at his feet. He looks up, looking around the room, he sees his sister in between the door; he shrugs at her, and she replies with a shrug back.

'Anyway..' Y/N breathes. 'Dinner is served!' Her voice louder for everyone to hear. Diego and Five quickly devour what was on their plates, wiping away their mouths into their arms; definitely raised together. Lila barely touches her food, as she stares in disgust at the brothers who practically swallow their food, rather than chew it.

'Right, we gotta go' Diego, jumps up tapping at Five's shoulder, for him to speed up also. He glances at Lila, Elliott and Y/N, then back at Five, who lazily pushes off the table and saunters towards his brother. As the siblings leave, a good 10 minutes pass, when Lila steps back from the table, as well.

'I'm going for a.. walk' She shrugs, turning around. 'Ciao!' she rushes out the door, leaving the Gussman siblings on their own. Y/N collects the dishes and places them in the sink. Resting both of her hands onto the counter she lets out a huge sigh, her head dropping below her shoulders.

'What a day, huh?' Elliott wonders, his eyes fixated on a wall. Y/N shifts, turning her head to the side, to see her brother. 'Nice nails' She snickers, as Elliott looks at his toes, tapping them against the kitchen tiles. They both share a laugh, a sense of relief passing through both of them, as now it was just family in the house.


	3. Chilli Red Lips

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Y/N gets to take care of Diego. It is more of an interactive chapter for the two of them. I've enjoyed writing it, so I hope you enjoy it, too. I feel like I've rushed it, but I hope it's still... okayish lol I do try to follow the season two plot, yet with some slight changes to fit this particular story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A huge thanks to those, who read and enjoy my stories. I appreciate all the feedback, and lemme just say that I get to read other peoples stories in the Diego Hargreeves tag, and ya'll are just so fantastic.

It's a late Saturday morning. Elliott's apartment is well lit, the light perfectly bouncing off from the bright kitchen tiles. The radio plays Rockin' Robin by Bobby Bird, an upbeat song, perfect for break of day. Y/N's dress drapes carelessly just above her knees; a maroon dress, with a wide cut, almost at her shoulders. Some would say it was risqué, but she felt extra special in it. What's the occasion? There was none. And the fact, that there was none, made Y/N feel slightly embarrassed and a tad stupid. Why the outfit, why the eyeliner and the chilli red lipstick? On her day off, she had more time to prepare and she wanted to look good. All morning, she tried to convince herself, that it was something, she wanted to do for herself, as a treat almost. However, as she got closer to her brothers place, her conviction started to deteriorate. Perhaps, she didn't want to look good just for herself, perhaps she wanted to impress someone else. Y/N pushed the thoughts aside, busying herself with cooking. Her feet were gently tapping against the tiles, shifting as she made bobs from one foot, to another, humming to the song on the radio. Elliott's left for an electric store, something that Five has requested; she never quite understood what exactly, only that it's going to be used for 'measuring sound-waves'. Whatever that means. As the song picked up the beat, her movements matched it, waving her hips, so the dress would spin around her legs. She gently raises one hand in the air, snapping her fingers, as the other one busies itself with the frying pan in front.

'Blimey! A breakfast AND a dance performance? Aren't we lucky?' A womans voice startles Y/N, as she flinches and turns her body around to face them. The tone seems stoic, sarcastic even. Y/N lost herself in the melody, that she forgot, that she might not be home alone. Grinning widely, Lila carefully shuts the door to Elliott's bedroom, and saunters towards the kitchen counter, where Y/N is cooking up breakfast.

'I've got a patched up soldier in the room.' Lila breaks the awkward silence, pointing her thumb at the bedroom, as she hovers over the cooked bacon. Y/N face scrunches in confusion, as she tries to process Lilas words. Lila reads her face, and lets out a chuckle

'Stabbed by his daddy. Elliott didn't tell you?' She picks a couple of pieces of bacon of the plate; putting one in her mouth and another one in her pocket. 'Anyway...' She sighs as her voice drifts, between the chewing. 'I'm going out for a bit of fresh air, going to get some more bandages and.. Stuff.' Lila gives another one of her grins and turns around; she pauses to give Y/N a smug look. 'Muscles a bit achy from last night. Gotta get some exercise, innit?' She quips, and skips downstairs. Y/N's face drops, as she slowly adds up all the hints Lila threw at her. First of all, gross. Y/N face scrunches in disgust, as she rushes to quiet down the radio. Why did Lila have to tell her all that? Why did she have to brag about it? Y/N questioned, her brow furrowing, gaze stuck on an egg in a pan, that was pretty much burnt at this point.

'Oh shoot..' She swore under her breath, as she carefully removed it onto a plate. That'll be hers, then. She tries to shake those thoughts from her mind, a tang of jealousy getting stuck in her throat, like a hard pill to swallow. Her shoulders dropped, as her feet didn't want to tap to the beat any more.

________________________________________________

Before she could immerse into all the different scenarios, that would ruin her mood completely, she hears a faint groan. Y/N freezes, waiting to hear it again, her hand on the radio, switching it off completely. She hears another grunt, her head turning towards the closed doors.

'Right..' She sighs, fixing her dress, and turning on her heel. Diego's injured, at least what Lila has stated. Naturally, Y/N had to check in, to see if everything fine, at least until others show up. Y/N approaches the door, her palms already sweaty. She swears under her breath, looking at her feet, so she could calm down. Inhaling deeply, she knocks on the door three times, suppressing the exhale. She hears another faint grunt, a squeak of the bed and a weak

'Yeah?'. Hesitantly, she opens the door to the bedroom; Diego sat at the end of the bed, just with his white underwear. His body was crouched, hair messy, a piece of plaster covered his stomach, a slight patch of blood seeping through. He looked up at Y/N; he seemed exhausted, dark circles, loss of colour in his face. Diego attempted a polite smile, which turned into a pained expression, as he winced from the abdominal pain.

'Oh it's worse than I thought' Y/N whispered, as if to herself. His half opened eyes flickered to hers, his hand grasping a piece of bedding, carefully moving it across his underwear. She felt her face heat up, feeling like she could cook the same eggs and bacon on her cheeks. Her eyes quickly dart to her feet.

'Do you need help with something?' She mutters, trying to look around anywhere but Diego's body. But she couldn't help herself, and she gave it another look. It looked... Pretty amazing actually; athletic build, lean muscle, a couple of scars placed randomly on his torso and shoulders. Just looking at different piece of muscle tense up, under his movement, seemed almost therapeutic. Y/N had to stop herself, before her eyes lingered on his body for far too long. Her rosy cheeks already gave away too much.

'Actually..' Diego pauses, his eyebrows creasing in thought. 'Can you help me get up? I can't stay in bed all day..' He grunts in defeat, trying to shift his body closer to the edge of the bed.

'Of course. Let me..' Instinctively, Y/N snatches his trousers and shirt from the chair and rushes to his aid. His clothes draped on one arm, she wraps her other arm gently, around his waist. His skin is hot against her palms, yet soft. She leans in, so Diego could drape his hand over her shoulders for extra support. A waft of sweat brushed against Y/Ns nose; it would've smelt divine to her, if she wouldn't have known, what caused it. She inhaled sharply, as on a count, she carefully lifted Diego off the bed. His grip around her shoulders was tight, yet delicate. His body still crouching, Y/N carefully drops his clothes on the bed, and places her other hand on his chest, to help him straighten out. She's fighting the urge to blush again, as she feels a steady heart beat against her palm.

As Diego steadied himself, Y/N eyes drifted towards his face, catching his intense gaze. His eyes travelled across her face, lingering on her lips. She felt her heart beat quicken, as the blood rushed to her face, her ears, wherever else it could go. Her mouth felt dry as a dessert, slightly agape. His eyes narrow, as they return, to her own.

'This lipstick looks good on you..' He says quietly, his eyes never leaving Y/Ns. Y/N grins, her cheeks turning into hot lava. She realises that her hands remained on Diegos chest for a moment, too long. She lets out an awkward cough, her hands hunting for the clothes, she brought him. Finding a shirt, she turns around, and carefully drapes it over his arms, and onto his shoulders.

'Are you able to...?'Y/N pointed to the buttons on the shirt, eyebrow raised. Diego only managed a brief nod. As he finishes buttoning up his shirt, he looks up at Y/N; she's holding a pair of his trousers a questioning look on her face. He looked down at himself, pants-less with no chance in hell, that he'll be able to bend and put them on properly. This time his face seemed to redden, as he averted his gaze to a book shelf behind Y/N.

'I'm definitely going to need help with this' he muttered, dropping his head down in vexation. When it came to helping him dress up, Y/N was very calculated, careful, professional almost. She didn't seem to mind the position she was in, gently moving his feet into the trousers. After all, she was used to taking care of those in need; whether it was feeding them, or clothing them. Steadily moving the trousers upwards, she meets his eyes once again.

'Do you need any more help?' Y/N points at the zip of his pants.

'Uhh.' He stops for a second. 'I think I can manage..' Hissing in pain, Diego barely manages to zip up his trousers. Y/N looks at him intently, as if ready to help if needed.

'I've made some breakfast, eggs and bacon. Let me help you to the table..' Carefully, she hooks her arm under his, so she could ease his steps. Bit by bit, they approach the kitchen table, her arm wrapped around his waist, as she slowly helps him sit down again. He winces in pain, but relaxes as his back rests on the chair. Two plates are placed on the table, Y/N pushes a chair for her, and effortlessly flops onto it. Oh, how Diego wishes, he'd be a hundred percent healthy. Each movement just reminded him of last night; the good and the bad. The bad was more overwhelming; no matter how bad of a father a person is, you don't really expect them to stab you in the stomach, and leave you to die. It made the pain more insufferable, as each flinch reminded him, of who caused it in the first place. Diegos face darkens at the thought, brows furrowing

'Why are you helping me?' He spits, his eyes fixated on the plate in front of him. 'Why are you being so nice to us?' He corrects his tone, realising it came off harsher than intended. However it was too late to retract it; Y/Ns shoulders tensed up, almost flinching at the sharpness of the tone. 'Oh no, no, no' he hushes, his hand gently placed on Y/Ns shoulder.

'I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that... I'm just genuinely confused.. Interested' He rambles, his face softening. 'We have no cash, or anything that we could give in return...'He drifts, pulling his plate closer to the edge of the table. 'I understand everyone have their reasons to be good. I just wanna hear yours..' Diego takes a bite out of his breakfast, waiting for Y/N to respond. Her eyes look around the room, as if for an inspiration, collecting her thoughts, she shrugs.

'I was raised this way. Both me and my brother. Our mother taught us, that we have to be helpful and nice, no matter what.' She grins, looking at a distance, reminiscing. 'I was adopted at a young age...'

'Me too.' Diego quickly interrupts. Y/N smiles

'Well then, perhaps you'd understand. They had a choice, and they picked me, and raised me as a true Gussman..' She sighed. 'I'm really grateful, you know? I wanted to be good to others, because I know what it truly feels like to be in need, to be loved and cared for...' Her voice drifts, as her eyes lay on Diego, his face darkened. His fork randomly picking at the egg yolk. Realisation hits her, as she tuts at her own phrasing.

'I'm sorry..' She hesitates. 'I didn't meant to talk..' Diego waved his hand, giving her a comforting smile.

'Hey, it's fine..' He looks at what's left of his food. 'Our dad, is and always will be a jerk.. He used us and treated us, as weapons, pawns in his little game. The only thing that was good about that home, is that we had a caring mother' He looked at Y/N, a weak smile on his face. 'Except, she wasn't real... Bolts and wiring, a robot.' He sighed deeply, looking down at his hands. 'But to me, she was the best mom, I could've ever asked for. She was caring and loving, and she had emotions, I know it.' He feels his vision blur, blinking to suppress it. A hand gently hovers over his; her thumb gently drawing circles in his palm, soothing and soft. Diego looks up, Y/N eyebrows raised in concern, a slight frown plastered onto her face. For a moment his eyes fixate onto her distressed gaze.

'You know..' She gives him a reassuring smile. 'There will be a time, when you'll have someone, who is going to be unconditionally caring and loving'. She gently squeezes his hand 'Your heart is in the right place..' She lightly moves her hand away, her index finger resting against Diegos chest. ' Therefore you deserve the best.' Y/N straightens her back, leaning back into her own chair. She gives an affectionate wink. After a long pause, Y/N huffs

'I just can't believe you got stabbed by your dad..' She couldn't help herself, it was something she just couldn't wrap her head around.

'Oh, did Elliott tell you?' He raised his eyebrow, pushing the empty plate away from him.

'Lila did.' Y/N suppressed the bitter tone. Something didn't feel right, and that patronising tone just seemed to rub her the wrong way. Diegos eyebrows crease as he remembers Lila, how she found him, and what followed afterwards.

'Has she told you, where she headed?' His stare was distant.

'Um, she said something about getting some fresh air' Y/N shrugged it off.

'Last night.' Diegos tone was hushed, confused. 'She found me, lying there, with a stab wound' He shudders at the memory, a memory his stomach reminds him of, every time he breathes harder, or slouches to the side.

'Well on the bright side, if she wouldn't have looked for you, God knows in what shape you'd be in now' Y/N smiles, trying to stay positive.

'Yeah, I guess...' His eyes narrow, lost in thought.

'Although, I'd expect a person to choose a park, for a walk, rather than an umbrella manufacturing plant..' Y/N shrugs, also deep in thought. It's a hunch alright. Y/N eyes narrow; she knows, she has to be cautious around Lila, yet she lacks reasons why. Until now.

'My thoughts exactly' a flash reflects against the kitchen tiles, as Five suddenly appears next to Y/N. Neither Diego, nor Y/N flinch, Y/Ns eyes shifting to the coffee machine, which had a full pot ready to drink. Five looked rough; his clothes slightly ripped, hair messy, and a nasty scratch on his cheek.

'What on earth happened to you, Five?' Y/N jumped from her seat, she takes Fives chin and moves it to the side; he hisses quietly. 'Rubbing alcohol, or iodine?' She asks firmly, upon release. Five looks up, in thought.

'Rubbing alcohol.' He pauses, his eyes scanning the room. 'It was an old friend..' Fives voice sounded remote. Shaking himself out of his slight trance, he glances at his brother, a sinister smirk forming on his face. 'How's my little brother? How did the meeting with dad go, again? Five raised an eyebrow. As a teen in his fifties, he sure acted like a cocky bastard.

'He cheap-shotted me, and you know, what's that like, right Five?' Diego taps at his own cheek, grinning smugly. As Y/N left to look for some rubbing alcohol, Five leant onto the table, his palms firmly holding onto it, his fingers white.

'Do you actually believe, that dad would be fine, with his children, who don't actually exist for another 26 years, snooping around his plant in the middle of the night??' He huffs in desperation. 'Jesus, Diego..' He smacks his hand across his forehead, sighing in frustration. 'The man didn't trust his own shadow!' Five hissed, as he heard footsteps approach. Y/N, accompanied by Elliott walks into the kitchen, rubbing alcohol and a piece of cloth in hand. Five nods in appreciation, as Y/N hands him the items.

'I've got everything set up, if you wanna look at it' Elliott suggests to Five, as Five remembers his request, he nods and follows Elliott, rubbing dried up blood off his face. Silence ensues as Y/N stands against the kitchen counter, Diego slouched against the kitchen table, hand resting against his forehead, rubbing circles.

'Thanks' He murmurs. Y/N turns to him, smiling.

'Come on, let's getcha to the living room, see what they're on about..' She approaches Diego, leaning in, to wrap her arm around his waist. They both approach one of the sofas, where Y/N gently slumps Diego onto the seat. As she gently removes her arm from behind him, it gently brushes against his fingers, lingering at his touch. Whoah, getting too comfortable, huh? Her face scrunches, as she cringes at her own actions. To mask this, she sits across the man, she spent most of the day caring for.

'Right' Five claps his hands 'I think, I've found Vanya. 'He smiles, one could call it a genuine smile. 'So, I'm going to get her. Diego...' Five narrows his eyes in thought. 'Just stay put.' Before Y/N could ask any questions, Five gives them a small wave, turning back to his tight lipped mechanic smile. A second pass and flash erupts, Five disappearing to God knows where.

_____________________________________________________

  
The day is coming to an end, dark clouds hover over Dallas, a faint sound of raindrops hums against the window. Y/N sits in the corner, Five's blazer in her hand, as she carefully stitches all the rips and tears. Lila has returned now, with a box of band-aids and bandages; a six hour walk, in search of bandages? Come on. The way she crashed onto the sofa, against Diego, made his face flinch in pain and discomfort. Something Y/N mimicked, whilst sitting on the chair. That had to hurt. Lila rested her whole body against Diego's, her eyes flickering to Y/N. However, Y/N saw her in her peripheral vision, humming and pretending to focus on the task at hand. A slurp brings everyone's attention to Five, who places the empty cup of coffee onto the table. He reaches for his back pocket, where he retrieves an invitation of some sort. Elliott approaches, his eyebrows raising in question

'May I?'. Five nods, passing it to Elliott, as he refills his cup with coffee. 'I.. I know this man' Elliott stutters, his eyes searching for something on his pin board. 'There's this group, an organisation if you will..' He hands the invitation to Diego, as he rushes to search his board for a cut out. 'They call themselves the Majestic 12.' He carefully unpins it, his hands shaking in anticipation. 'They're super secret, I'm not certain, that they work for the government..' Elliott hands Five a cut out. Y/N raises from the chair, removing all the excess threads from Five's blazer. As she approaches Elliot and Five, she gently places it on Five's shoulders. Glancing at the cut out she raises an eyebrow

'Hey, Elliott..' Y/N eyes narrow 'There's only 11 members in the photo?' She glances at Five, who's staring straight at Diego, both of them wide eyed.

'Do you think..?' Before Diego could finish, Five interrupts

'I hope not.' He scoffs.

'We need to get to him, I need to ask why he wants to kills the president..' Diego says thoughtfully.

'NOOO' Fives sighs sharply. 'Enough. With. The. President' he growls.

'There's going to be free food, so we must go.' Lila insists, interrupting Diegos and Fives bickering.

'Elliott has some suits, Diego could pick from.' Y/N suggests, shrugging. 'And I can bring some dresses over tomorrow, for Lila to look at. There must be a dress code after all.' She smiles at Lila; Lila's glare is unchanged, as if she's throwing Y/N a challenge. What challenge would she had in mind?

'That'd be grand.' her tone is devious. Her stare felt like it was piercing through Y/N, making her shift in her spot.

'Well then..' Y/N straightens her dress. 'I better go, let you all rest.' She gives a tight smile, as she brushes past her brother. Draping a scarf over her shoulders, she reaches for her umbrella. Y/N returns to the living room, waving everyone goodbye, she reaches for Elliott, giving him a comforting squeeze on his shoulder. 'Five, there's still some food on the counter, and I've made a new pot of coffee. You need to eat.' Her brows crease, as she gives him a genuine smile. He responsively nods back, turning on his heel towards the kitchen. She smiles to Elliott, Diego and Lila once more, before she steps down the stairs, leaving the building. Five stands in the kitchen, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in hand. As raindrops slowly drips down the window, his eyes follow a figure with a black umbrella disappearing into the city, his brows furrowed in thought.


	4. Southern Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Much longer than I intended. This chapter revolves around the Mexican consulate. The main character is unwillingly pulled in into the heist, which makes her act on her instincts.
> 
> A warning; quite a few swear words.
> 
> I hope you enjoy it!

After what seemed like months, years even, it was nice just to stay at home, in a bedroom, with all the personal belongings, personal space, that's only yours. A rather warm noon, the sun shinning brighter than the day before; it felt welcoming, comforting, like an embrace, that's there to calm anyone in need. And Y/N was in need, indeed. Her body lazily draped over her bed, bedsheets kicked to the side, hair messily sprawled on her pillow. Talk about a lazy Sunday. She needed peace; she needed to reorganise her thoughts, to be precise. Sure, her adoptive mother taught her many things, such as sewing and cooking. But most importantly, she taught her to be appreciative, caring and generous; just a good-hearted human being. And she wanted to believe that she was just that; just a person helping those in need. However, with each careful touch, with each words she shared with Diego, made her heart beat just a beat faster. However, each sighting of him and Lila, knowledge of their copulation and Lila's constant threatening gazes, made Y/N understand, that she was crossing the line. Therefore, she chose not to visit her brother on a Sunday, giving herself a personal day off, too. She felt she needed to cool down, to give some space between her intentions and her deepest desires. Yuck. The thought made her cringe. The gala, Five is planning to infiltrate, doesn't happen for another day, so there's no need for her to be there. Or so she thought.

'Y/N! Your brother is on the phone! Please come downstairs, darling!' Beatrice calls out. Y/Ns eyes shut close, as she sighs dramatically, her hand roughly brushing across her face.

'What now??' She groans to herself. No rest for the wicked. She slumps out of her bed; lazily dragging her feet across the hardwood floor, down the stairs, towards the telephone. Beatrice carefully placed the phone on the stool, slowly shuffling towards her favourite rocking chair. Just by looking at the phone, Y/N face scrunched in pain. As to no surprise, it does take a lot of energy to be aware of everyone's problems; especially, when you try to sort all of them out yourself. Y/N felt exhausted; she had her own dilemmas to suppress, and having just one day to rest, would've been grand. Reluctantly, she picks up the phone, hearing her brothers voice on the other side. She feels like she's back at work, her voice sounds concerned; she's back to full-on helping mode.

'Hey, Elliott. Is everything alright?' She goes straight to the point.

'Five insists on a meeting.' Elliott pauses, as a number of voices muffle in the background.

'And..?' Y/N questions, increasingly frustrated. Oh, like she wasn't frustrated before. A pause ensues, muffling becoming louder and clearer.

'It's not mouldy tuna! It's a tuna mould, God.' Elliott huffs, irritated. 'Anyway.. Five wants everyone here. You also mentioned dresses, which Lila wants to try.. Aaand, they don't seem to like my tuna mould.' Elliott sighs, clearly disappointed. He had passion for food, just no talent for making it edible. Y/N rested her forehead against the wall, her fingers firmly on the bridge of her nose, circling in a calm manner. Obviously what is Y/N needed for, anyway? Coffee, cooking and general support, supposedly?

'I'll be there as soon as I can, okay? And c'mon Elliott, you're a food artist' She let's a weak chuckle. 'And art is meant to be looked at, not touched...Or eaten.' Y/N genuinely laughs, as she hears Elliott reciprocate. After they say their goodbyes, Y/N hangs up the phone, her hand lingering on the receiver.

'Darling, can you come to the living room, please?' Beatrice's uneasy tone startles Y/N, who rushes towards the lady. 'Y/N..' She says Y/Ns name softly. Her eyes looking out the window, distant. The record player is off, leaving the women in complete silence. Y/N kneels on one leg in front of Beatrice, her brows furrowed in concern. 'I spoke to my son in Houston, and...' She hesitates, swallowing slowly. 'There's an old people's home, right next to his house. They have a pool, bingo weekends and I get to be with my child during my last years on this Earth..' She smiles weakly. Y/N knows exactly where this is going. Y/N takes Beatrices hand in hers, a gentle smile appears on her face. If only it was as genuine, as Y/N intended. She knew there will come a time, but not now. Especially not now. Her job doesn't pay enough, for her to live on her own, and her brother has enough on his back as it is.

'I think it's a wonderful idea, Beatrice.' Y/N squeezes her hand, lightly. 'I'm sure, he'd be happy to have you there.' Beatrice nods in agreement, her sweet eyes focus on Y/N.

'Are you sure, you'll have a place to stay, dear?' Beatrice raised her eyebrows in concern.

'Of course!' Y/N lied. That's it; the curse of an empath. Always consider others, but yourself. Thousands of thoughts rushed through Y/Ns mind, as Beatrice continued to talk about the retirement home, her voice drifting out. At this time, it's too much. How can a lazy Sunday turn into a hectic one. Shaking her head, as to shake off all the thoughts, Y/N clasps her knee and slowly stands up.

'My brother wants me to come over' She points towards the corridor. 'But I think there's enough food, and like always, you can call his telephone and I'll be here.' Y/N smiled, giving Beatrices hand one more squeeze.

'Oh, I wish I could take you with me to Houston, you'd love the beach!' Beatrice gave a heartfelt smile. At this point, Y/N wishes this too.

_____________________________________________________________

Clutching four evening dresses and attempting to open a door is never a good idea. Y/N huffs in frustration, as her left hand tries to turn the knob of Elliotts apartment. After a third attempt, dropping the dresses at least twice, she gathers herself up and starts kicking the door. After all, that's happened in the last hour, this was somewhat therapeutic.

'Whoah, Y/N!' the voice, she tried to block out this whole morning, appears from the other side of the door. 'For a sec there, I thought someone was trying to break in.' Y/N shifts, her gaze meeting those same brown eyes, she was paying too much attention to yesterday. Diegos hand was strategically behind his back, possibly a knife in hand. It confirmed Y/Ns assumption, as he seemed to place something back into his pocket, his hand coming from behind, resting on his hip.

'My hands were busy.' her tone came out harsh. She attempted to save it with a tight-lipped smile, as she rushed past Diego into the apartment.

'Here let me..' Diegos tone is soft and gentle, as he attempts to wrap his arms around the pile of clothes. However, Y/N shifts to the side, her hands moving away from his grasp.

'Nuh-uh, mister. You were stabbed two nights ago. No way way, I'll give you something heavy to carry around.' She scolded, giving him a stern stare.

'Y/N.. I feel much better today. So-' Before he could finish, Y/N rushes towards the living room, where Lila, Five and Elliott are busy with their own things.

'-Look, Elliott. My siblings are stubborn as a bunch of mules. And we don't have much time, before the Apocalypse happens-' Five sits in an arm chair, his elbows on his knees, an empty cup hanging off of his index finger. He notices Y/N and quickly jumps up. An apocalypse? Seriously? Y/N has about enough for one day. In this moment, she wished it could come sooner.

'Oh an apocalypse, huh?' She aggressively drops the dresses onto a nearby sofa. 'Well that's good news! At least I won't have to look for a new place to live!' Y/N spits sarcastically, her hands on her hips. Elliott turns to his sister, eyes full of concern, but before he can open his mouth, Five interrupts.

'Let's not get distracted. We need a plan for tomorrow.' He places his cup on the table, next to the invitation.

'Actually..' Lila raises her hand in question, an eyebrow raised. 'I'd rather look through the dresses with Y/N.' She grins at Y/N. A beautiful smile, perfect teeth, eyes dark, yet sparkly. She looked genuinely excited. 'Hanging around with you three, has given me a migraine.' Lila crawls to the end of the sofa, reaching for the dresses. 'Let us have a girly moment! And then we can plan, alright, lads?' Lilas completely focused on the dresses, like a child in a store. Her hands gently caressing the fabric, of each dress. 'They're beautiful..' Lila breathes, carefully stacking them, and carrying them to Elliotts bedroom. Y/N looks at Five, Diego and Elliott, shrugs and follows Lila.

'You like them? I.. I've actually made all of them. Our mother was a seamstress..' Y/N voice drifted, is Lila even listening to her? Y/N straightens the dresses, to give a full view. 'This one..' She points at a black dress. 'Was the last project me and our mom worked on.' Y/N recalls, smiling to herself. She remembers those days with such pride; God, how she misses her.

'I like the teal one!' Lila exclaims, snatching the dress and pressing it against her body.

'Yeah? I think it would look nice on you.' Y/N smiles. She's surprised she held a decent conversation with Lila for that long.

'Okay! Girl time is over!' And the menacing gaze is back; how can eyes and mouth convey two different emotions?

'Wha-? Really? But there's two more, we could look at-' Y/N shook her head in confusion.

'Look, sweetheart.' Lila licks her lips, as if she's ready to devour Y/N any minute now. If it was a degree hotter in the room, Y/N would be sweating puddles. So unpredictable, sinister and downright scary. Just as a hint, a tad of civility comes out, Lila doubles down with a threatening stare. 'I want this one. And I'm keeping it.' She gives her a bitter smile, as she turns on her heels and leaves the bedroom. Y/N exhales, rubbing her eyes, she follows Lila out, into the living room.

'Back already?' Diego turns to Lila, puzzled. She carelessly drops the dress onto the edge of the sofa, and snuggles up to him.

'Yep, saves time rather than stealing one from the store.' Lila shrugs, as she casually leans in to reach for a piece of chocolate. Five gives Y/N an apologetic stare, as he attempts to carry on.

'Diego.' He turns to his brother, finger pointing forward. 'You'll be the look out.'

'No way, man. What if you get into trouble? Lila can be on the look out' Diego huffs, crossing his arms in front of his chest, clearly displeased.

'Actually' Five turns to Lila, matching her menacing gaze, lips shut tight into a smile. 'She's not coming.' Five shrugs, as Lila puffs in annoyance.

'She's coming with me, Five.' Diego growls.

'Yeah, Five. You need a babysitter, after all.' Lila grins devilishly. Five stares at Lila for a moment, lost in thought.

'Hmm..' He taps his finger against his chin. 'Well then...Y/N's coming. Because, Lila-' He smirks. 'Who's going to babysit you?' Before she could answer, he flashes himself into the kitchen, a faint whistle of the coffee machine echoing back into the living room. Lilas head snapped so quickly to Y/Ns direction, that it might as well pop off. Elliotts panicked eyes gave away, that he was thinking of all the worst possible scenarios. Diego just sat there, shaking his head. Once Five returned, coffee pot in hand, Diego shifted in his seat.

'It's too dangerous for her, what if she gets hurt?' He sounds concerned, his tone much softer than before.

'Here's the thing, dear brother. I don't trust Lila, but here she is.' He fills his cup with coffee, as he continues. 'I trust Y/N enough, to bring her with me. Let's say as a... A leverage.' Five shrugs, as he finishes talking into his cup. Lilas stare does not leave Y/N, as she stands there, clearly shaken.

'I don't think, I'd be much of help there...' Y/N struggles to speak, a mere whisper comes out.

'You'll help us, by being a look out. Also consider this as a thank you.' Five smiles. 'Just take it, as... ' He casually waves his hand. 'Let's just say we're taking you out, for a celebration. And what's a better place for it than the Mexican consulate!' A full room of uncertain or pissed off faces entertains Five so much, he can barely suppress a giggle. Y/N fixes her stance, standing more confidently

'Well, if the world is about to end in a few days, then why not...' She smirks, yet her eyebrows creased in uncertainty.

'Guess you're wearing black tomorrow.' Lila says dryly, as Y/N hands carelessly drop to her sides. What's the worst that could happen?

___________________________________________________________

  
Time seems to fasten, as if on purpose, before all four of them crouch behind a car, in front of the consulate. Y/N did indeed wear the black dress; it's a classic, perfectly paired with red heels, and of course a red lipstick. Obviously, it had to be the chilli red lipstick.

'Don't you think, we look more suspicious, acting.. Like this?' Y/N whispers to Five, carefully sticking her head out to look for any diversion. Y/N had Elliott read comics to her, when she was a teen; something he was passionate about, especially science fiction. Exactly, fiction. This was real, and no matter how well she tried to hide it, a constant shake in her leg gave away that she would rather be a thousand miles away.

'Let's just say, that our dad taught us that casual approach rarely works.' Five mumbled, eyes narrowed, scanning the entrance.

'So what's the plan?' Lila asks.

'We infiltrate, we identify, we extract. Double time' Diego says quietly.

'What the hell is he saying?' Both Y/N and Lila raise an eyebrow.

'Find the old man, and get out fast' Five repeats. Diego glanced back to the three of them, giving an obvious look.

'That's what I said.' He sounded annoyed. Without hesitation, Diego delicately slips into the crowd, disappearing into the consulate. Before Lila could follow, Five yanks her arm back

'My brother may be a fool, but I am not.' He hissed. 'I don't know what's your purpose here, but I don't like you one bit' He bites. Lila looks back at him amused, and slips out of his grasp into the crowd.

'I don't trust her either..' Y/N blurts out; she knows it's not her business, but she seems to believe that Five does pay at least a fraction of attention to her opinions.

'I know, that's why I brought you here.' He gently tugs at Y/N dress, moving his head towards the entrance; a sign, that they need to go. Getting in was much easier than Y/N expected; such large crowds made it easy to surf through them, and avoid any security.

'Right.' Five fixes his blazer. 'I take the second floor. Diego don't walk too far off, in case I'm going to need back up.' Before he makes a step, he turns around again. 'Also don't do anything stupid.' Five smirks before rushing up the stairs. Lila tries to follow Five, but is suddenly stopped by Diego.

'Hey where are you going? Leaving me again like you did a couple of days ago?' He raises an eyebrow, his hand gently, but firmly holding her arm. A mariachi band starts to play, and Y/N wishes she'd be somewhere else, rather than staring at them two.

'Hey, how about you two dance around here.' She waves her hand near the stairs. 'And I'll go meddle with the crowd, look for anything suspicious...Whatever that may be.' She mumbles the last bit to herself, as she turns on her heel, rushing to whichever direction her feet are taking her. She swiftly yanks a glass of champagne off the waiters tray, and glides through the area, searching for something out of the ordinary. Out of the ordinary? There's at least two people in this place that are sure as heck unordinary. Realising she almost circled the whole place, she finds a corner to withdraw to. In her peripheral vision, she sees Lila and Diego dancing closely. It's so agitating; what's more agitating is the fact, that she's upset, when she has no right to. Resting her hand on an armchair nearby, she takes a large sip of champagne. She immediately spits it back into the glass, her face scrunched in disgust.

'Fancy champagne is for New York. Us Southern gals need good ol' bourbon.' A gentle voice makes Y/N jump in her spot. A woman, slightly older than her, approaches Y/N, a big, genuine smile spread across her face. Her golden blond hair is done up perfectly, eyes as welcoming as a hug. Y/N looks around, but realises that the woman is alone, at least in this moment. Y/N carefully wipes off what's left of the champagne of her lips, cheeks as red as her lipstick.

'If expensive champagne tastes like that, I'd take bourbon any day.' Y/N smiles to the stranger. The beautiful woman carefully takes Y/N glass out of her grasp; her eyes glance to both sides, as she leans past Y/N pouring the champagne into a decorative vase. Y/N frantically looks around, to make sure no one did see, both her and the woman giggling silently.

'I'm Y/N..' Y/N pushes her hand forward.

'Well, it's nice to meet you, Y/N. I'm Grace.' Grace eagerly takes Y/N hand into hers, shaking it gladly.

'I'm sorry, I can't help it.. But you look absolutely gorgeous.' Y/Ns cheeks already start to sting from all this smiling, but it was a pleasant experience to talk to someone, who was actually normal. Grace slightly blushes. After a small conversation, Y/N begins to relax, although her eyes are still on alert, she finally enjoys herself, considering what the past few days were like. As they both shared a laugh, a voice from behind makes them jump.

'Mom?' Diego stands in front of the two women, completely baffled. Y/N followed his gaze to Grace, who raised an eyebrow in question.

'Haven't heard that one before..' She snickers, giving Y/N a confused look. Diego mentioned his mom was a robot, yet this woman seems quite real. Y/N looks at Diego, who's standing in front of Grace, his eyes full of disbelief. He wasn't a knife throwing, president saving tough guy, any more. He looked almost like a child; so vulnerable, in awe, like he has seen Santa.

'You're real..' He whispers. Y/N tried to meet his eyes, give him a sign, wake him up from his trance, but his eyes were fixated onto Grace.

'If this is your idea of a come-on, it's not goin' well.' Grace raises her eyebrow, as Y/N takes a step back, so she would be out of Graces' view. Y/N gives a slight wave to Diego, to grab his attention; once his eyes shift to her, she covertly waves her hand across her neck, signalling for him to stop whatever he's doing.

'Oh hm.. Uhm' He stumbles, his stance shifting uncomfortably. 'Do you know a man, named Reginald Hargreeves?' He questions. Perhaps asking questions, he does not want answers to.

'Well 'course, Reggies' my date this evenin' She glances around. Diegos' face scrunches in disgust; Y/Ns eyes grow wide, mouthing 'Shut up' to him.

'Gross..' He can't help himself, looking like he ate a piece of animal turd. Y/N realised she had to step in.

'I do apologise, for my date this evening. It's our first date, and he's acting a little..'She pauses to search for words. The second she used the word 'date', she felt she'd messed up.

'-Odd?' Grace gives Y/N an apologetic smile.

'Yeah...' Diego smiles, before he realises his response. 'I.. I mean no. Do you know where Reginald is?' He quickly changes the subject. Wow, so smooth.

'He's in a meeting. Been for the last 20 minutes.' She thinks to herself.

'Never good to keep a lady waiting.' Diego smiles.

'Tell him that if you find him.' She nods, turning to Y/N.

'I won't keep you any longer, but it was really nice meetin' you, Y/N.' Grace squeezes Y/N hand. Leaning in she whispers 'Your dates quite peculiar, but cute. Hope it turns out better, than it is now.' She winks, giving one last squeeze on her arm, before she saunters into the crowd. When Y/N turns around, Diego smiles, dumbfounded.

'A date?' He crosses his arms, raising an eyebrow. Y/N face starts to heat up, as she realises what just happened.

'It was either that, or your silly ramblings.' She hisses, approaching him. 'Besides, I thought your mother has passed..' Y/N eyes narrow.

'She has.. But let's just say it doesn't happen for another 50 years.' He whispers, his eyes searching.

'Wha-' Before Y/N can question further, Lila approaches, hooking her arm under Diegos.

'That little brother of yours hasn't shown up for half an hour, maybe we need to check.' She's talking as if Y/N isn't there. Sure, it'd make sense. What can she do, if there's trouble? Call the police? Help, a super-powered 13 year old is in trouble in a Mexican consulate. Diego nods and goes for the stairs, Lila trailing behind. Y/N tries to follow, but Lila turns around and roughly pushes her back.

'You're not a leverage... You're a liability.' She jeers. What a bitch. Y/N reluctantly takes a step back, as Lila rushes after Diego, and Y/N is left on her own.

__________________________________________________________________

  
Y/N was slowly climbing up the stairs, her eyes glancing around, as she was told to do. Now that the world is possibly ending, and her life is turning into an A grade mess, she realised that there was literally, nothing to lose. Although dark, if she would die, at least her life ended on an exciting adventure, right? A large group of men burst from one of the corridors, quickly dispersing into different directions. Hopefully she was getting close. She passed a marble fire place, her hand studying the detailing. Y/N had an idea, and God help her, for it to work. She halts completely, once she hears yells and grunts. That does not sound good.

'Lila! Help me!' That sounds like Diego. Y/N leans against a wall, slowly walking towards the noise. Pieces of furniture fly past the corridor, as she gets closer. A clank of a knife echoes throughout, proving that the three of them must be nearby. Y/N hears another loud groan; a struggle. A nearby window faintly reflects of what's happening in the corridor, past the corner. A man, larger than Diego, holds him by his throat, his other hand on Diego's hand, which firmly grasps a knife. Y/N can see he's struggling to breathe, as the taller blond man isn't releasing him out of his grasp. She can hear Diego attempting to speak, but his throat is too closed off. A soft thud follows; his knife is dropped on the floor, as Diego is slowly loosing consciousness. It's now or never. As Diegos eyes begin to close, he hears a loud clang;the man chocking him releases suddenly. The man looks at Diego, before his eyes roll back and he collapses on the floor, revealing Y/N behind him. She holds a fireplace poker above her head, panting excessively. Her eyes wide, face going pale by the second, her eyes fixated onto the man she knocked out.

'Y/N..' Diego breathed, pushing himself off the wall. He carefully takes the poker out of Y/Ns firm grasp, which she hesitantly releases. He drops it away from them and takes Y/N face in his hands. Diego gently shakes her, her eyes darting to his now. 'You saved my life.' He smiled. Y/N eyes were still wide; she felt her heart beat in her head, so much that Diegos voice sounded like muffled sounds.

'Huh?' Was the only thing she could say.

'Shh, it's okay..' He hushed her. 'We need to go, alright? We need to find others and get out. Dad has probably left the building already.' Diegos' tone was sweet and careful, reassuring. They give the unconscious man one more look before they turn to leave. Diego takes Y/Ns hand in his to direct her to a quicker exit. His grasp is firm as he tugs her out through the crowds. Once they rush outside, Five and Lila run towards them from another side. Sirens are heard in the distance, meaning it's time to flee. At the sight, of approaching Lila, Y/N quickly pulls her hand out of Diego's grasp, which he reluctantly releases.

'Uh, guys, we need to go..' Lila suggests. Five nods, his face and shirt covered in blood.

'When you mean we? Who do you exactly refer to, huh?' Five hisses, rolling his shoulders.

'Hey, you little shit, I saved your life.' Lila huffs, displeased.

'That's the problem!' Five exclaims, his finger aggressively pointing towards her. 'You're too good, you know, how to fight, you ask too many damn questions.' His eyes narrow.

'He's got a point' Diego nods in agreement.

'Oh come on, not you, too..' Lila tries to take Diegos hand, which he quickly snatches to his side. Diegos face darkens

'I was getting my ass handed to me back there.' He sighs in frustration. 'I nearly lost my consciousness. If it wasn't for Y/N, who actually came to my aid.' He grit his teeth, clearly angered by the memory.

'Oh so she's the hero now?' Lila claps sarcastically. 'Should we applaud her? Maybe even give her a medal?' She laughs, turning her gaze onto Y/N.

'Hey!' Y/N calls Lila out, fuming. 'You should not undermine me! All I wanna do is help, I don't need your shitty remarks, any time I come into your vision!' Y/N yells, her hands curled into fists. Adrenaline was rushing through her veins, she was ready to fight anyone. Not like she had any idea how to do it, but still.

'Oh you, fucking-' Lila prowls towards Y/N, as if ready to smack her into the next century.

'ENOUGH!' Five yells. 'Y/N, Diego, c'mon..' He turns to leave.

'Diego, don't..' Lila pleads.

'You know..' Diego turns to her once more. 'I'm used to dealing with liars, Lila.' He turns to face Y/N, his face lightly covered in bruises. As Diego puts his hand on her back to lead her out, he turns to Lila one last time. 'But I like it better when I know what they're lying about.' Lila looks lost for words

'Diego, come on? Really? You're just going to walk away?' She continued to plead. Y/N felt awful. Diegos hand on her back didn't make things any better. She turned around to look at Lila, her face creased in concern. But as she turned around, Lila just hissed at her, like a snake, before darting into opposite direction. Well, not all people deserve kindness, then.


	5. Cry to Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Main character finally meets Luther. It's suppose to be yet another filler chapter, where most of the action takes place in Elliotts apartment. Since Lila is absent for a few episodes, Diego and main character has a chance to interact more, with Y/N being rather reluctant, for obvious reasons. Some dancing involved, no actual warnings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Although, a filler chapter, I had a lot of fun writing this. Also I try to make the music more relevant to the year they're in, I did add I think we're alone now, which was released in 1967. I love adding music to these chapters, as it gives them a bit of a mood, helps imagine the scene better.. At least I'd like to believe it.
> 
> A big shout out to plsdontlookatme, I know my writing is messy, so I'm trying to make it easier for the eyes.
> 
> Hope you all enjoy it!

Yikes. The three of them walked the street in complete silence, each lost in their own thoughts. A quiet whistle of the night wind and Y/N's heels echoed throughout. A cold shiver crept down Y/Ns' back; her body finally cooling down after a spurt of adrenaline. Nonetheless, Y/N could not deny it- it was exhilarating. She attended a gala at a consulate, met new people and most of all, she saved someone's life. Perhaps her need to care and help others has crossed a whole new level. If only she could do this, if only she knew how to do it properly. Cooking, cleaning or running errands for others brought joy to Y/N; she vowed to herself, she'd always help those in need. She's a female in 1963, Dallas, Texas; what else could she do? But seeing Diegos' face light up, utterly overwhelmed with appreciation and surprise, him breathing out 'You saved my life.' through that perfect smile. It was everything. Talk about helping those, in need.

Before her thoughts could drift any deeper, she felt a light weight on her shoulder. Y/N looked up, realising that Diego has put his blazer on her. Sure, it was covered in blood (not sure how much of it was actually his) with a hint of musky sweat, but it was just what she needed. Her eyes shifted to Diego, who gave her a tight-lipped smile. His eyes were full of hurt, disappointment, with a hint of regret. He was heart-broken. And he had all the right to be; he got close to someone, who he genuinely cared; being lied to, truly hurts. Especially when you show them your weakness and vulnerability, something that not everyone can show, or want to, for that matter. Diegos eyebrows creased, a mix of sadness and anger darkened his face. This was more painful, than all the punches inflicted.

'Hey...' A soft whisper reached his ears.

It was his turn to return to reality, to now. He looked down, Y/N walking much closer to him, affectionate smile on her face, eyes creased in concern. She read his face like a book, she knew exactly what he was going through.

'It's going to be okay..' She hushed warmly, her hand hovering above Diegos' shoulder; hesitantly, she brought it back to her side. Now was not the time. Diego fixed his posture, rolling back his shoulders, as if covering all his emotions with a heavy blanket. He raised his eyebrow, a small smirk appearing on his face 'Trust me, I've had worse days.'He said, smugly.

However, deep inside, there was a teenage boy, back at building up those walls. Back at the age, when he realised he needed these walls for survival; emotions makes one weak, susceptible. Heroes don't rely on emotions, they rely on power. Bricks scattered around, the boy on his knees, picking them one by one. When he met Lila at the mental hospital, with each conversation, with each shared moment, Diego started removing brick by brick, before she bulldozed his walls completely, allowing him to embrace the intense connection, he believed, they had. They boy started stacking those bricks back again; his hand shaking hesitantly, as a silhouette of a black dress and red heels stood in the shadows, only her hands visible, open for an embrace. In this moment, there was just him and Y/N. Two people, walking shoulder to shoulder in complete silence. Two people, who were desperate for affection, for affirmation, from each other. Yet, uncertainty, conflicting emotions and generally bad timing meant that, the occasional brush of their shoulders should suffice.

___________________________________________________

'What was it, that Lila got into the nut house for?' Five asked thoughtfully, his steps slowing down as they reach Elliotts place.

'I don't know, I never asked.' Diego muttered, clearly displeased that they have to talk about her.

'Okay, fine.'Five hesitates, turning on his heel to face Diego.

'When did she get there?'Fives stare was intense, calculated. Diego stopped in front of him, Y/N trailing behind.

'I don't know...' Diegos eyes narrowed. 'Maybe a few weeks, a month later..' His voice drifted, as he continued walking past Five, towards the main entrance. He did not want to do it now.

'Interesting..' Five muttered to himself.

'You think she was placed there on purpose?' Y/N heels clicked as she approached Five. Five raised his eyes, to meet Y/N's; usually Five hated being interrupted, since he firmly believed only he could carry an intelligent conversation with himself. However, Y/N has proven to him that she was capable to separate her heart from her brain, thus her input was somewhat welcome.

'Exactly. Placed. By someone.' He gritted his teeth, eyes wider, fists clenched. 'She's not the head of the operation. She's just a messenger.' Five frowns, realising that there's only one person malicious enough to mess with his family.

'You guys comin', or what?' Diego insists, as his hand firmly grasps onto the doorknob. Five shoots him an annoyed look, suddenly flashing inside. Diego sighs, opens the door for Y/N and waves for her to go in first. As she steps inside, she pauses in front of Diego, giving him an apologetic smile.

'Family, huh? Would love to hate them..' She smiles, walking past him, up the stairs. As she gets nearer, she hears a hysterical laughter,that starts to get louder. Once Y/N reaches the second floor, she sees Five standing with his eyes wide in anger, as if he's ready to scold the hell out of, whoever is making all that racket. Y/N swears under her breath, as a faint sweet smell fills the room; nitrous oxide; dads' nitrous oxide. Their father left everything to Elliott, in hopes that he'd become a successful dentist, or a businessman, at least. If he'd see him now. Elliott didn't have the personality to be an addict of some sort, however when his wife left him, he used it a few times to cope. Sure, Y/N never approved it, hence why she visits him almost daily; nothing works better than support of a family member. At least, that's what Y/N believed. Before she could reprimand her brother, she stops once her eyes dart to a huge figure next to him. A man, whose thrice the size of Elliott; probably eats guys like Elliott for lunch, because God he's huge. Shoulders abnormally wide, like a brick wall with limbs. Both Elliott and the Giant were laughing hysterically, ignoring the people in front of them. Y/N rushes to the cylinder, turning it's nozzle off.

'Elliott! Come on, what did I tell you about inhaling this nonsense??' She snatched the inhaler mask out of her brothers grip, waving it aggressively in front of him. Y/N drops the inhaler mask on the ground, taking off the blazer and carefully placing it on another couch. Her eyes dart to the Giant, then to Five. The mysterious Giant pauses, a glint of fear in his eyes, eyeing Diego, Y/N, Elliott and then Five. Yet once his gaze meets Five, he quickly averts it to the ground.

'That's my other, equally idiotic, brother.' Five sighs, taking his blazer off. He glances at Y/N, who nods and goes into the storage area to look for rubbing alcohol.

'I see you've met Elliott.' Five smiles, his hands disappearing into his pockets. Y/N returns with a fresh cloth and a bottle of rubbing alcohol

'Come on, Luther, introduce yourself. We're polite, we're not animals.' Five smirked, before heading out to the kitchen. Luthers face scrunched in annoyance, before his gaze averted back to Y/N. He coughed uncomfortably; clearly embarrassed. Luther stood up, fixed his shirt and awkwardly pushed his hand out for a handshake. At least a whole head taller than Elliott, he stiffly towered over Y/N. Usually a man of such shape emitted power, confidence. Yet, this man seemed rather awkward, as if he'd trip over his own shadow.

'I-I'm, uhm.. Luther Hargreeves, Diego and Five are my brothers.' He hesitated, stating the obvious. 'Five mentioned that this is where they are staying, and I-I uhh..' He looked at the floor. 'I got kicked out of my place, so I needed a new place to stay. I hope you and your brother don't have a problem with that.' He attempts a smile, which although awkward, seems genuine. Y/N returns the smile, as a comfort to the newly addition.

'Well, Luther, it is nice to meet you.' She leans in. 'Rule number one; don't inhale nitrous oxide. It's bad for you.' Y/N winks as she releases his grip. He's so gentle and careful, she barely felt his hand in hers. Ah, a gentle giant, how cliché.

'Glad you could join us, bro.' Diego smirked, his arms crossed in front of him.

'Not like I had a choice..' Luther rolled his eyes, clumsily falling back onto the sofa.

'Well..' Y/N sighed, glancing at a clock. She yawned and stretched, looking around. 'It's now 3AM, so it's too late to go back home.' She wanders towards the empty couch, carelessly flopping down, she kicks off her heels and grabs a decorative cushion. 'You can carry on, your conversation. Perhaps a little family reunion, but I've got work in a couple of hours..' Her voice drifts before she can finish that sentence, as her eyes close and she feels her body relax against the couch. Finally, she felt the exhaustion catch up with her, it's been intense few days. Before she could drift off completely, she feels a light weight being draped on her upper body; a mix of dried blood and same musky sweat fills her lungs, before she surrenders to sleep completely.

___________________________________________________

A bright light and a strong waft of fried eggs awakened Y/N from her deep sleep. Groaning into the pillow she turned to face the back of the couch, avoiding the sun rays. Her body felt like it was broken down and rebuilt again; this couch seemed more comfortable last night. Scrunching her face in annoyance, she tried to go back to sleep. Damn this bright light. Her eyes opened wide, as she inhaled deeply. Bright light? She yanked her head to the other side, almost falling over. This doesn't feel like five in the morning. She desperately searches for the clock; it's 10 am.

'Oh shoot, I'm late!' Y/N yells to no one, as she pushes her body clumsily off the couch.

'Relax, Y/N!' Elliott shushes his sister, facing the electronics, Five asked him to get, a while back. 'Five and Diego told me what happened last night, so I thought you need to rest.' Elliott turns around, smiling; he seemed tired, but his eyes glistened with excitement. Y/N looked at him, anxiously, expecting further elaboration.

'I called the diner, told them you got sick. Also called Beatrice, just in case she'd worry.. Also, you said you need to look for a place to stay..?' Elliott walked up to Y/N, concern written on his face. 'You know, we can make it work here, we'll get you a bed or something..' He drifts off into his plans, but before he could make any more suggestions, Y/N puts her palm in front of his face. She was not a morning person. 'I'm really grateful, brother. But...' She squints, covering her eyes from the sun 'Not now, ok?' Y/N stands up, and shuffles to the kitchen.

The kitchen is foggy, frying pan hissing quietly as a mountain of a man stands in front of it, cooking breakfast. Three packs of empty egg containers are stacked on the counter. Y/N lazily opens the fridge, to look for something cold and refreshing to drink; preferably orange juice. Until it hits her. Her head pops out from behind the fridge door, eyeing Luther suspiciously. Her eyes dart back to the empty egg containers, and then to the frying pan. It had the biggest pile of fried eggs, she's ever seen; it looked like there was about 30 of those in the pan. She curiously eyed Luther, who was oblivious to her stare, messily flipping the eggs, getting them practically everywhere. A snicker came from behind, but her eyes were fixated on the big pile of plain, fried eggs.

'Uh.. You okay there, fella?' Y/N raises her eyebrow, eyes darting from Luther to the pan. Diego, sitting at a kitchen table, burst into laughter. Luther darts at Diego, scowling.

'Good morning, to you, too. I've..' He paused, shuffling eggs back and forth, causing an even bigger mess. So clumsy.

'I've been better.' Luther gives Y/N a small smile, as he turns the stove off. He opens a cupboard to look for plates, only to shut it, realising there's literally no plate big enough for his eggs. Y/N eyes him carefully, before gathering a wooden cutting board and carefully passing it to him.

'Here.. This should help.' She turns to look at Diego, who shrugs, utterly amused. It was a better sight, than last night, she'll give him that.

'Can we get back to the conversation, Diego?? Please!' Luther snarled at his brother, mouth full. Y/N walks up to the coffee machine, preparing a fresh pot of coffee. Diegos face darkens, last nights events come back to his memory.

'I swear, they're following me.' He leans in, as if he's telling a secret.

'Wait, who?' Luther furrows his brow. Diego rolls his eyes, agitated.

'These Dutch sociopaths.' He hisses through his teeth. A glint of light appears behind the door.

'They're Swedish, you idiot.' Five huffs entering the kitchen, his clothes freshly done. He must have a secret stash of those uniforms. Five turns to Y/N, greeting her with a nod. She nods back, filling a cup of coffee and handing it to Five. By now, it was all natural, almost automatic. She knew what the boy wanted, and that damn boy wanted coffee. He gives a quick smile, and turns to his brothers

'Those Swedes, are hired guns, paid to eradicate us, before we do any more damage to the timeline.' Five lightly blows steam off of his coffee, taking careful sips. This agitates Diego; quickly, he jumps up from his seat. He towers above Five, anger building up in his eyes.

'Yeah?? But why now?' Diego huffs, turning around he quickly glances at Y/N. 'I was fine before YOU showed up.' He turned to Five again, pointing at his chest assertively. This argument was Y/N's cue to go and put some normal clothes on. As she passed Five, she quietly hummed

'Yeah, fine. In a mental hospital.' Five glanced back at Y/N, a smirk appearing in the corner of his mouth. As Y/N walked out of the kitchen she heard Diego yell after her 'Hey, I heard that!', and she couldn't help herself, but smile.

___________________________________________________

Quickly flipping through some chests and drawers, Y/N managed to find a pair of high waisted jeans and a red short sleeved top; presumably Elliott's ex-wifes, but it will do. A quick wash and a brush with nothing, but her fingers and she still looked like shit. Sighing she returned to the kitchen, where Luther was telling some story involving their father. Diego groans, face scrunched in disgust 

'That's pathetic.' Diego's gaze averts to Y/N; messy hair, a very faint redness left from last nights lipstick and her eyes still fighting with the morning sun. 

'Yeah well.' Luther scoffs, finishing last bits of his mega breakfast, Diegos eyes bore back into Luther. 

'At least he didn't shank my ass.' Luther raised his eyebrows. Diego leant in, his arms crossed 

'No, bro, he shanked your heart.'. Y/N snorted into her coffee cup. Five rolled his eyes, whilst refilling his. Elliott walks in looking around, his eyes fixated on Luther. 

'Is that my bathrobe?' Elliott points at him, confused. 

'Uh no?' Luther shrugs. 'I'm surprised it fits.' Y/N murmurs quietly into her cup. 

'Who cares what he shanked?' Five huffed, waving his mug in Diegos direction. 'He knows something about time travel.' 

'Um' Elliott interrupts. 'Can't you just, do-' He vaguely waves at Five. 'Your thing and time travel us out?' The three brothers share a glance. However, Y/N fixated onto the 'us' part. What if, though? What if they could take them to their time, to the future. Five slams his coffee cup on the counter, startling Y/N. So much for a daydream. 

'Does someone care to explain?' He starts pacing around the kitchen. 

'First time, he got lost in the apocalypse.' Luther got up, carrying the pan to the sink. 

'Second time, he ended up without hair on his balls.' Diego rested his head against the wall. Five stopped pacing. 

'This time I've scattered my family across three years, in Dallas, Texas, possibly triggering a doomsday.' He pants, eyes menacing. 'Any more questions, Elliott?' Elliott gulps, glancing at his sister, who shakes her head. 

'No..' He carefully steps back, his behind bumping against the door frame. 

'Well.. For one, we know that dad is part of some cabal to kill the president.' Diego glances at Five, who responsively rolls his eyes. 

'A cabal?' Y/N raises her eyebrow. 

'Ignore him' Five hushes her. Y/N stalks to the kitchen table, sitting opposite Diego. Five suggests a family meeting, which intrigues Y/N. So far, each sibling was so different; not in the sense, that they were adopted, but in every other way. Their personalities, their movements, obviously powers were vastly different from one another, which made their interactions fascinating to Y/N. 

'Can one of you get Allison, please?' Luther questions, his tone almost melancholic. Finally, another sister. Lila was right; being with them for too long, can give you a headache. 

'You two still a thing?' Diego raises his eyebrow, a hint of concern in his eyes. Five, impatiently storms out of the kitchen, mumbling something about getting his other sister, Vanya, before flashing out of the building. Luther looks down, his hands fumbling with each other. He looked genuinely upset. Y/N raised an eyebrow, glancing at Diego as if waiting for an answer. 

'We're not biologically related.' Y/N raises another eyebrow, still not convinced by the answer. Her face scrunches in disgust. She cannot imagine herself having romantic feelings for Elliott, even if they're not blood related. Diego glares daggers at her, which makes her shift uncomfortably. Now is not the time. 

'Well, she's actually married.' Luther shrugs. Diego is taken aback, his brows furrowing in concern. 

'Whoah, dude. That's rough.' He breathes. The way Luther looks at his own hands; in defeat, in sorrow, his eyes almost empty, his chuckle silent. Diego genuinely felt sorry for his brother. Perhaps a shared feeling, for once bringing them together. Y/N saw in Luther, what she saw in Diego last night. Her hand came for Luthers shoulder, gently resting on it, giving it a gentle squeeze. Luther tensed up, giving Y/N another fake grin. 

'Do you dance, Luther?' Y/N smiles, eyes gleaming with glee. 

'Well.. I mean, yes-' Luther stutters. However, before he could finish, Y/N darts for the living room. A scratch of a record echoes into the kitchen, as Cry to Me by Solomon Burke starts to play. A soulful beat hums into the kitchen, as the volume is turned to high. A moment later, Y/N slides into the kitchen, cat eye sunglasses on her face, yet another item of her ex-sister-in-law. She's making a funny face, while she's shaking her hips to the beat. Her hands waving to the sides, she laughs when she notices Luther and Diego, looking confused. She starts to mouth the words as she saunters towards Luther, gently tugging at the bathrobe. 

'♬Doncha feel like crying  
Doncha feel like crying  
Well, here I am, my honey c'mon baby, cry to me.♬'

Luther gets up, reluctantly staggering to sides, as Y/N takes his wrists and moves them around, occasionally making them clap. Her smile grows wider, once Luther starts to relax, swaying more to the sides. It surely didn't look graceful per se, but he gets a gold star for the effort. He closes his eyes, as if to embrace the rhythm, managing to dance on his own. Y/N releases his wrists, as he starts waving his fists to the side.

'♬Loneliness loneliness, it just a waste of your time, oh yeah  
But you don't ever you don't ever have to walk alone♬ '

Y/N takes off the sunglasses, standing now on her tippy toes, to place them on Luther. He eagerly accepts it, as they both chuckle and continue to dance. She swiftly jumps onto a chair, taking Luthers hand and spinning him in circles, all smiles. He gently releases Y/Ns hand, completely immersed into music. As the song fades away, a bassline hums as I Think We're Alone Now by Tommy James & The Shondells start to play. Luther starts to move to the beat, like he's danced to it before. Y/N feels genuinely happy; at this moment, she forgets all her worries, because music is her medicine. She's glad to see that music has the same effect on Luther. He dances into the living room, where Elliott is reading through some files, he's gathered throughout the years, his feet tapping off beat. Feeling like her job is done, Y/N takes a step to jump off the chair; as the chorus starts, her feet almost at the floor, she is suddenly caught, firm hands gripping onto her waist.

'♬ I Think Were Alone Now♬'

She carefully rests her hands on his arms, as she looks up, her feet slowly reaching the floor. Diego looks down to Y/N; his eyes conflicting, yet full of admiration. Both of them looking at each other with surprise. Y/N is reluctant; just last night he was sensually dancing with another woman, a woman he felt very attached to. She does not want to get in the way of things, but her body seems to freeze in his grip. Diego licks his lips, hot breath brushing against Y/N cheek.

'Hey, no fair. Who's gonna cheer me up?' he smirks, glancing at Luther. Y/N smiles, her hand rises to his face, tenderly moving a lone strand of hair to the side. As the music speeds up again, Y/N takes Diegos hands into hers, spinning both of them around. Before she can lead further, Diego yanks her by her hips to himself, holding her close.

'♬Look at the way  
We gotta hide what we're doin'  
'Cause what would they say  
If they ever knew♬ '

Y/N face turns red hot, she tries to look away, but her eyes cannot avoid Diegos proud smirk. Tease. She takes his hand and they start dancing, spinning around the kitchen. Once it comes to the chorus, Diego dips Y/N; she rises her leg against his hip, for balance. Yeah, right _balance_. His hand gently moving up and down her back; a burning tingle runs down her body, as his hand touches her bare back, where her top has moved. In that moment, it felt so hot, she wanted to hiss. But she suppressed it. Realising that they've gone too far, she playfully pushes him away, yet not letting go. Her fingers lace with his as they spin and laugh until the song starts to fade out. As another song begins, the record player stops to a halt. Fives' voice startles Y/N and Diego, Y/N quickly stepping back out of Diegos touch. Five glances at Diego, his eyes narrowing.

'I finally managed to bring Vanya.' Five muttered, he glances at Y/N before he darts back into the room.

'I better go make coffee' Y/N sighed, pointing to the coffee machine. His expression turns somber, eyebrows creasing, his eyes looking around, lost in thought.

'Yeah.. I better go say hi to my sister.' He nods, before reluctantly leaving for the living room. So much for cheering him up. Y/N walked up to the coffee machine, huffing as her head banged against the cupboard above. Shit, she screwed up, didn't she?


	6. Hopeless Romantic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Y/N meets the rest of the family. She shares a tender moment with Klaus, Vanya and Allison. This chapter discusses emotional journey the characters go through. If you know season 2, this is quiet before the storm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is indeed, a doozy. I tried so hard to make it exciting, realising that it didn't need to be exciting. It's more on an emotional side, and the scene at the Odessa's in the show is really one of my favourites, therefore I am glad I got to include an original character into it. Nonetheless, I do hope you enjoy it. As with each chapter I tend to learn more about writing, I am excited for any writing tips or suggestions, they DO help a LOT.  
> Anyway, hope you enjoy it. And I hope the next chapter will come sooner.  
> <3

Inhale. Hold four seconds. Exhale. With each day, it started to become more difficult. Difficult to refrain from having strong feelings. Strong feelings for someone, whose interested in someone else. Yet how can each hold feel warm and gentle,why does each touch linger as if not wanting to let go and eyes discordant, yet dark with want. Each day, the boundaries are being pushed further and further, turning this into a painful game. Was Lilas absence the reason for all of this? Did he miss a womans touch so much, that he pursued the next best thing? Inhale. Hold four seconds. Exhale. Yes, tell yourself that.

Y/Ns forehead rests against the cupboard, her eyes closed shut. Hands, curled into fists, rest on the counter, in front of the coffee machine. God, she's stupid. She hits her head against the cupboard as if to punish herself. Dallas has plenty of people, why on earth pick _him_? Is it because he's passionate about saving others? Is it because he can fight, be tough, but when needed he's soft and actually caring? Is it because that stupid messy hair of his, is actually beautifully wavy? His gorgeous chocolate brown eyes smooth and gentle, every time they look at Y/N? Or is it a set of full lips, peeking out of that scruffy beard, begging to be kissed? She bites her lip, hard enough to draw blood. A loud clang brings her back to reality. Dessert glasses are placed, one after another, on the counter, next to Y/N. Her forehead still resting, she shifts her head and opens one eye. The second she sees what's on the counter she quickly pushes her head away.

'When did you have time to make Jell-O?' Y/N raised her eyebrow. Elliott stood in front of his sister, with two glasses of Jell-O in hand, smiling proudly.

'Couldn't sleep.' He placed the remaining two glasses on the counter.

'That's a lot of Jell-O.' Y/N couldn't help herself, but smile. Her brother may be a goof, but he's a good man. Although his face started to look more on the grey side, eyes darker than usual, that glint of excitement and fascination was enough for Y/N to indicate, that he's alright.

'Hey, Y/N. Can you help me carry these to the living room?' Elliott nodded his head to the glasses, as he stacked some onto his arms.

'Elliott, I don't think-' She groaned. But before she could finish the sentence, her brother was out the door. Sighing, she took the remaining glasses, and carried them into the living room. You know when they say, tension is so thick, you can cut it with a knife? Y/N felt, that she could choke on it, the second she entered the room. Everyone seemed stiff. The sister, Vanya, sat at a corner of a sofa; her posture seemed small, especially compared to Luther, her hands carelessly fiddled with each other. Her face was soft, dark hair draped loosely across her shoulders; her eyes were big and brown, a hint of confusion and anxiety reflected in her gaze. She felt out of place; as she should, no thanks to her brothers menacing look.

Across the sofa, Diego sat in an arm chair, eyes narrowed, his right hand toying with one of his knives. His stare wouldn't leave his sister, the knife flipping in his hand as if ready to be thrown. Luther sat next to Vanya, his elbows resting on his knees, leaning in, shoulders tensed.

'Oh, hello!' Y/N smiled, placing the jell-O glasses onto the table, hoping that her tone could alleviate the tension.

'You must be Vanya.' She slowly walked towards her, to greet her. However, before Y/N could reach for Vanyas hand, a firm grasp pulled her a step back.

'C'mon, Diego!' Luther groaned, rolling his eyes, displeased. Y/N turned around raising an eyebrow, her left wrist still firmly clasped by Diegos hand. He looked uneasy, his jaw clenched shut; there was some history there, that Y/N couldn't comprehend.

'Hey..' Y/N said softly, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. 'I just want to say hello..' She gave him a small smile, carefully unclasping her hand out of Diego's grip. He glanced at Vanya, then at Y/N; his eyes softening only just a little. Without saying anything, he hesitantly releases. Diego picks up his knife and continues to flip it around.

'I'm sorry..' Y/N chuckled, leaning in to take Vanyas hand.

'My name is Y/N, I don't know if you've been properly introduced, but this is my brother Elliott.' She turned around at her brother. Elliott sat on the end of the couch, dessert glass in hand, in front of his face, humourosly distorting it. Y/N sighed looking back at Vanya, who had a glint of amusement in her eyes, a small smirk appearing on her face.

'Vanya, would you like something to drink? Coffee?' Y/N questioned, giving her shoulder a light squeeze. 'Yeah.. Coffee would be great, actually.' Vanya nodded. Y/N glanced at others, who awkwardly nodded.

'Great!' Y/N clapped her hands and left for the kitchen, she turned around once more, glancing over at Diego. His stare was fixated, the knife constantly spinning in his grasp. What is Diegos problem? Why so tense around his own sister? What could've possibly happened?

___________________________________________________

'Y'all know, Jell-O used to be a delicacy.' Elliott continued to stare at a glass of Jell-O in front of his face. 'You know, in order to make it, you gotta boil down a whole mess of hooves... you know, horses, cows, pigs, it doesn't matter.'

Five rolls his eyes in annoyance, occasionally glancing back into the kitchen. 'But not everybody has mess of hooves just lying around.' Elliott chuckled, moving away the glass and taking a spoonful of trembling red goo.

'It wasn't until, uh...' He waves his spoon nonchalantly. 'A couple of sassy New Yorkers figured out how to dry it out so that the rest of us could have a-' He takes a large gulp, before continuing'...a chance to enjoy this ambrosia.'

Five, who started to pace in circles, interrupted Elliott, his hand on his forehead, rubbing circles. 'If we have some..' He sighed.'Will you shut up?' Five walked up to the table, snatching one of the glasses, making Elliott flinch. Elliott takes another big bite, flash of panic runs across his face, his eyes glaring at Five. Once he takes another big gulp, he replies

'Maybe.' As if on cue, Y/N returns with a tray full of coffee mugs; walking up to Five, she hands him one, mouthing 'Sorry' as she glances to her brother. She walks up to Vanya, softly handing her a mug, placing the rest onto the table. Glancing around, she finds a chair, which she pulls towards the table, placing it between Vanya and Diego.

'So..' Y/N claps her knees, sitting down. 'How are you, you doin' okay?' Y/N eyebrows creased in concern, as Vanyas hands started to fidget nervously.

'Pretty shitty, to be honest.' Vanya frowned.

'Where would you say you were on a scale from one to..' Diegos tone was quiet, yet sharp. '..ending all life on this planet?' His eyes narrowed, as he anticipated an answer. Vanya shifted in her seat, as Luther waved his hands in discontent.

'Really?' Vanya frowned.

'Diego, put the knife away, you idiot. She's fine.' Luther raised his voice.

'The last time I saw this one-' Diego stopped flipping his knife, now pointing it at Vanya. 'she had me suspended midair, sucking the life out of me with energy tentacles. I think I'm allowed a little time to process.' He muttered, his knife fixated onto Vanya. _Oooh._ Y/N raised her eyebrows in shock, looking at Vanya, who embarrassed, stared down at her hands.

'Oh, I'd love to see an energy tentacle.' Elliot blurted, pointing a finger. Y/N groaned, slamming her hand against her forehead.

'Elliott!' She glared at him, her tone sharp and pointed. Elliott managed a small shrug, before showing another spoonful of jell-O into his mouth. Vanya glances at Five and Luther, she slowly inhales, as she turns to Diego.

'I don't remember what I did, but I'm sorry...' She shrugs. 'If.. if that means anything'. She attempts a small smile, as Diego relaxes into the seat, putting down his knife.

'It does.' He sighs. Diego shifts in his seat uncomfortably. 'Just going through a lot right now.' He mutters, placing the knife into his back pocket. 'Just, uh.' He sneakily glances at Y/N. 'Girl problems..'

A bell downstairs dings, indicating that someone has entered. Diego sighed in relief, slumping against the headrest. 'Oh, thank God.' He huffed under his breath. No way was he going to talk about this, not in front Y/N. Why did he bring it up in the first place? Idiot. Nonetheless, Diego did feel conflicted; one night he dreams of Lila, of their time spent at the asylum. That special night they shared. Playing it over and over again in his head. How she was there for him, how her sarcastic and snarky comments made him smile. And how she was completely unpredictable, something that kept Diego on his toes, made their relationship intriguing. Although he was hurt, he still missed her dearly.

However, there was Y/N. The complete opposite. He never expected it to happen, to feel this way and in such a short time. Her touch, soft and gentle, warm and welcoming, although he'd never admit it, he'd love to fall into her embrace and stay there forever. How Y/N carefully fixes his hair, or how she nudges him, giving him a hopeful look, whenever he's lost in thought. If he's down, she seems to be there to pick him up. Whenever dark shadows starts to encircle him, Reginald Hargreeves' voice echoing in his ears; years of abuse, of belittling and humiliation, she seems to be the only one who can reach out to him, who can pull him out of the self doubt, with just a simple touch, a soft 'Hey.'. Y/N never called him an idiot, when in reality there were times, where he truly deserved it. Like 10 minutes ago. She recognizes his family's struggles, and she's there for them, all of them. Yet, she's not just that. The way her eyes darken, every time they're close. How her breath quickened, when he had her dipped whilst dancing; her skin burning hot against his touch. Damn, he realised, he wanted her bad. And that's what torn him completely. It felt unfair, immoral. Not only for them, but for himself.

'Hey, Diego?' He felt a light nudge on his arm. 'I believe the rest of your family arrived.' Y/N squeezed his shoulder, pointing for him to follow. Diego gave her a longing look, still stuck in his recent day dream.

'Wha- Diego? Come on!' Y/N chuckled pulling him up from his chair. As they reached the railing, catching up with the others, Y/N looked down. A man and a woman staggered around the first floor, admiring all the old electronics, chattering indistinctly and laughing.

'Oh wow, look at all this stuff...' The man wondered, caressing a thick layer of dust off of a TV. He seemed to carelessly wander, his movements almost clumsy. Very slender figure, with big beautiful curls; some would die for such hair. The woman next to him tapped him, as she looked up, a set of perfect teeth appearing from beneath her lips. Her skin was a beautiful tone, a fringe hovering over her brown eyes, glint of excitement reflecting off of them.

'I know this is impossible...' The man took a step forward, squinting. 'But did we all get sexier?' Y/N glanced at the pinboard, a cut out of Diegos mugshot, and then at him. She shrugged to herself, suppressing a smirk. Vanya was first to rush downstairs, excited to realise that she has a sister. Luther tensed up as he stared at the woman, who was now in an embrace with Vanya. Diego approached the man, who lazily staggered towards him. It was obvious that Diego had a soft spot for this man. The way he firmly held him, as to support him in place. The way he scolded him, upon finding out that he was drunk as a skunk. Once they all walked up the stairs, Y/N approached the remaining siblings.

'Welcome!' She raised her hands to the sides, as Elliott carefully trailed behind her, glass of Jell-O in hand. As the sister opened her mouth to speak, the brother pushed by swaggering towards Y/N. 'Klaus. But you can call me anything you want..' Klaus winks, giving a mischievous smile as he takes Y/Ns hand, bows and kisses it. 'Ou chante.' He waves his free hand dramatically. Y/N giggled, replying with a bow herself

'Y/N. The pleasure's all mine' A strong waft of tequila exude from Klaus, making Y/N scrunch her nose. Klaus passes Y/N, smiling at Elliott as he points to his glass.

'I love jell-O!' Klaus exclaims, taking the half eaten glass out of Elliotts grasp.

'There's some on-on..Yeah, this is fine.' Elliott stammers as his hands are frantically searching for his trousers pockets. Klaus takes a huge spoonful of Jell-O, cramming it into his mouth, humming in pleasure.

'Oh, mmm. Strawberry...' He murmurs to himself, wandering towards the nearest seat.

'I'm..' His sister closes her eyes, her fingers pressing against her temples. 'so sorry..' She sighs. 'Oh don't be' Y/N assures her, giving her a friendly smile. 'I've got a fair share of my own.' She turns, the sisters gaze following hers. Elliott wanders around the other siblings, a new glass of jell-O in hand.

'I'm Allison.' Allison pushes her hand out for a handshake. It all made sense. She was even more charming up close; if Y/Ns adoptive siblings looked like her, she'd probably crush on them hard, too.

'Let's get down to business.' Five claps his hands.

'Um, before you start your 'business'-' Y/N interrupts. 'Perhaps Allison and Klaus would like something to drink?' She suggests raising her eyebrows in question.

'I'd like some of your finest Cabernet Sauvignon... But any cheap vodka will do.' Klaus reaches for another dessert glass, giggling in joy. 'Actually..' Allisons voice trailed, as she pointed a finger. 'Make that two of whatever you have.' She grins as she slumps next to Klaus.

___________________________________________________

Humming to herself, Y/N roams around the kitchen, looking for any alcohol, as the Hargreeves siblings bicker in the next room.

'Luther works for Jack Ruby!' Diego yells accusingly.'Oh yeah? Well you've been stalking Lee Harvey Oswald, and look where that took you!' Luther yells back, defensively.

Y/N slowly walks up to an old cabinet, covered in dust; a gift for Elliott and his ex-wife, on their wedding day. Y/N crouched, inspecting the cabinet, she carefully tugged the handle. With much resistance, it eventually opened, creaking sharply. A sharp whistle makes Y/N jump, as she glances back. Through the entrance, Y/N sees Diego pacing hastily, passionately explaining something about their possible connections to the JFK assassination. Turning back, Y/N continues to study the contents of the cabinet. A half-drunken bottle of bourbon, an unopened bottle of Tequila and a champagne bottle with a faded label; possibly another gifted item. Remembering the stench, that came from Klaus previously, Y/N quickly grabbed a bottle of Tequila, and closed the cabinet shut. Opening a cupboard, she gets two glasses out, and places them onto the counter. Her hand lingers on the cupboard door; volume increases as arguments start to overlap. Less than a week and Y/N learnt that the world is ending soon, she's losing her home, probably killed a man and fell in love with another. They _all_ need a drink. Deep sigh, as Y/N grabs more glasses, places them on a tray, along with Tequila and orange juice. She carefully picks up the tray and heads for the noisy quarrel, that's occurring in the living room.

'Guys, you all die. Again!' Five interrupts, everyone going silent. He glances at Y/N, frowning. As she approaches, he grabs the bottle of tequila.

'I saw Russian nukes vaporize the world with all of you in it..' He points the bottle at his siblings, then pours some into his cup. It is quite an uneasy sight, seeing a 13 year old, literally inhaling a cup full of what might be tequila with a dash of leftover coffee. Y/N places the tray on the table, placing herself between Allison and Klaus. She takes the bottle of tequila, glancing around to see if any one else is willing to drink; Vanya glances shyly at Y/N, nodding once Y/N pulls out another glass.

'Russian nukes? We better triple the dosage.' Y/N murmurs so that only Klaus and Allison could hear. They both giggle, as Y/N pours half a glass of tequila each. Topping it with orange juice, she hands the drinks out.

'Here's to the apocalypse!' Klaus whispers as Y/N, Vanya, Klaus and Allison clinks their glasses, all suppressing a laugh.

'Hey!' Five snaps his fingers, to bring attention to him, eyebrows furrowed and his eyes wide and full of intensity. 'You all need to shut up, and listen to me.' He huffs, stuffing his hands into his pockets. 'Look, I don't know if all of this is connected, or if there's a reason for everything. But dad could help us.' Five exhales, looking into each and every one of his siblings, his eyes almost pleading. Almost.

'We need to talk to him before everything and everyone is dead.' He concludes. A mere second pass, as Luther claps his knees, gets up and starts to move towards the stairs.

'Okay, I'm out.' He sighs. As the siblings plead for Luther to stay; he refuses and resists, throwing Five off the stairs in retaliation. Diego rushes after Luther, as Five flashes out of the house, the three of them disappearing into God knows where.

'I think I need to lie down.' Elliott mutters to himself, jell-O in hand as he shuffles to his bedroom.

'Well that leaves the four of us, I guess.' Allison shrugs spinning her glass in her hand. Klaus downs the rest of the drink; he leans back, letting out a quiet burp.

'You know what? I could really go for tacos right now, Allison?' Klaus wiggles his eyebrows.

'Shouldn't we wait?' Vanya wonders. 'Do tacos cause the end of the world?' She takes a big sip of her drink, eyes narrowed in thought.

'I mean there's one way to find out!' Klaus jumps off the couch, enthusiastically. He grabs his sisters' hands and yanks them off the couch. 'Come on, ladies!' Klaus gives Y/N a suggestive look, as he takes both of her hands and pulls her off the couch, as well.

'That means you too! C'est la vie! Carpe diem! And whatever other bullshit!' He grabs the bottle of tequila, taking a large swig of it.

'C'mon, Y/N.' Allison insisted. 'Your brother ate so much jell-O, he tired himself out.' She laughs, yanking the bottle out of Klaus grasp. 'So you must come with us,we're the FUN siblings.' Allison states, a proud smirk appearing on her face. She takes a gulp of tequila, wiping her mouth with her hand. She grins at Y/N, suggestively shaking the bottle in front of her.

'I'll be the judge of that!' Y/N eagerly accepts it, downing the remains. After all, she's an emotional mess, that only alcohol can suppress.

___________________________________________________

'Hey, wouldn't it be weird if Five grew up all hot?' Klaus scratched his chin, other hand waving a bottle of gin carelessly, splashing it around. After grabbing some tacos, and completely ravaging a local liquor store, the four ended up at a hair salon; Odessa's. Odessa's was a hair salon on another part of town; a tidy and elegant atmosphere, covered in photographs of different hair styles, and civil rights posters. It was closed to public for the day, and Allison, being an employee, had a spare key she used, to sneak everyone in. Y/N slumped on one of the hairdresser seats, her hands carelessly draped on the sides. A tray, full of champagne, vodka and gin was lazily pushed around, to accompany each individuals needs. A fuzzy feeling runs through Y/Ns legs, as she relaxes further into her seat, her cheeks a light shade of pink.

'Hey...' Y/N raises her finger. 'As an adopted child, myself.' She dramatically reaches for her chest. 'If I had siblings, as attractive as you, guys...' Her voice trails, as she giggles into her glass of gin. Klaus points at Y/N, smugly nodding.

'Yeah! She gets it!' He waltzes over to her, giving her a high-five.

'Still Klaus, that's just gross.' Allison scrunches her nose in disgust.

'Please, Miss 'Luther was my lover'.' Klaus mocked Allison, making kissing noises.

'Aren't we brothers and sisters?' Vanya asked, concerned look on her face.

'First of all.. You're in love with a soldier, who technically hasn't met you yet.' Allison growls at Klaus. 'Second, well, we're all adopted, so biologically.. Look, that's not the point!' Allison groaned, downing a glass of champagne. 'The point is, that Ray saw me rumour a cop, okay? And now he's all freaked out. Acting like he suddenly doesn't know me...Ugh.' Allison dumps her face into her palms, a muffled groan coming out of her grasp. Y/N leans in, reaching for her empty champagne glass, refilling it and passing it back.

'Here.' Y/N smiles, squeezing Allisons shoulder gently. 'You said rumour? What do you mean by that?' Y/N slumped back to her seat, reaching for her own glass.

'I can rumour people into doing things, basically.' She shrugs, looking down at her glass, her gaze is distant.

'Yet she prefers not to.' Klaus covers his mouth with his hand, whispering loudly. Allison rolled her eyes; glancing at Y/N she pointed a finger, as if to give her a second.

' _I heard a rumour..._ ' She begins, staring daggers at Klaus. He freezes upon her words, his eyes turning white. ' _That for the next ten minutes, you stop talking._ ' Allisons voice echoes throughout the hair salon. Klaus glares at his sister, mouthing words, that won't come out. Agitated, he attempts to talk, scream even, when nothing but silence follows. Klaus dramatically sighs, leaning against one of the tables, he flips off his sister, before chugging down the bottle in his hand.

'Wow...' Y/N breathes, leaning in to look at Klaus, who continuously tries to make some noise. 'You can do pretty much anything, with this.' Y/N says thoughtfully.

'It's not as fun as you think. Lemme just say that...' Allison raises her hands as if in defeat, a small frown appearing on her face.

'You know what?' Vanya shifts in her seat, sighing. 'I'm going to tell Sissy that I love her.' She inhales sharply, eyes full of determination. 'If something happens.. I don't want any secrets. Vanya shrugs.

'You know what?' Allison nods in agreement. 'Vanya, is right. If everything goes to shit, at least I can be honest to my husband.' She looks around the room, her eyes fixating on Klaus, who still tries to mouth words. Klaus stops for a moment, glaring back at Allison, his eyebrows creasing in remorse.

'Yep, you'll have to face that cult of yours.' Allison pointed at him, grinning smugly.

'AAAaaaa..OOooo..OOOokay, yes! Another minute and I would've died. Don't do this to me, Allison! Never again!' Klaus scolds Allison, much to her amusement. 'Okay, fine. Since we're all boring here, then-' He shifts to Y/N, her eyes growing wide. 'C'mon, what dirty secret do you have? Say we got six days before we all die? Have you murdered someone? Are you in love with a set of twins, and don't know which one to pick? Just pick both-' Klaus mumbles away, as Y/N raises her hand to interrupt him.

'Imma stop you right there.' She points her finger at him to pause, as she downs the rest of her drink. 'Okay, you want me to be honest? Okay...' She inhales deeply, looking around as to avoid their concentrated gazes. 'There's this man...' Y/N begins, stopping to collect her thoughts. The alcohol is really kicking in.

'Oh, there's always a man...' Klaus rolls his eyes, sauntering towards the tray, and grabbing yet another bottle of alcohol. Allison glares at him, as to shut him up.

'Well, I begin to think, that I'm falling in love..' Y/N continues, as Vanya gives her a reassuring, warm smile. 'Except he's probably in love with another person.' Y/N finishes off quickly, the last bit spoken into her glass.

'Oh this one's a doozy.' Klaus mumbles, scratching his beard.

'How do you know that he loves that other person?' Vanya questions.

'I've seen them together. But then when he talks to me..' Her hand lingers on her chest. 'There's always something; a touch, a dance, a tender moment..' Y/N exhales, her face turning red at the thought of Diego.

'You should talk to that person.' Allison raises an eyebrow.

'Yeah, and if he's all, like, not interested bye, sorry, then you can move on!' Klaus exclaims, raising his bottle into the air. 'Because the one thing the Hargreeves family knows is that love.. Is a FUCKING BITCH!'

'Hear! Hear!' Allison chimes in, raising her glass of champagne, laughing. Vanya chuckles as she climbs off her chair, and walks towards Klaus, raising her glass in agreement.

'Come on, Y/N. This is the hopeless romantics club, and you're its newest member!' Klaus waves Y/N to approach them, as they all embrace each other, laughing. Y/N hesitates, before running into the group, her hands widely draping across Allisons and Vanyas shoulders, as they all laugh in unison. Twisting the Night Away by Sam Cooke plays on the radio, as the four of them start to dance. And in that moment, in that moment only, the four of them dance their troubles away.


	7. Hit the Road Jack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Y/N has to say goodbye to dear Beatrice. Her brother gladly welcomes her to live with him. Y/N and Diego share a tender moment. Angst and tender moments, with an unfortunate cliff hanger. Warning for a slight suggestion/mention of death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I want to let ya'll know, that I am 100% influenced by the writers in this tag. Really amazing stories, different takes, that do truly influence me. And all the comments you all leave, ah my heart. 
> 
> I know we all want more of our angsty knife man, but I want Y/N to have a journey of her own, I want to be clear on why or how she gets, where she is. So, just bear with me.
> 
> As always any comments are appreciated, I want to believe that I get better with each chapter, but seeing great examples on this site, I know there's a lot to learn, so any input is gladly appreciated.
> 
> Hope you enjoy this chapter! <3

Bang, bang. Ouch. Head pulsing so hard, as if threatening to explode. Even with eyes tightly shut, the world spun in circles, a roller coaster that you simply cannot stop. That's what strong liquor does to you. Knock, knock. Flinching with each knock, as if it sound more like a clang of metal smashing violently into each other.

'Y/N! You'll be late for work!' A familiar voice heard, muffled behind the bedroom door, as knocking continued. _Shit_. Y/N eyes opened wide, as she quickly hopped off her bed. Unfortunately, a whole bottle of gin and four hours of sleep knocked her right back.

'Thanks, Beatrice!' Y/N grunted, as she tried to regain her balance, awkwardly dangling on the corner of her bed. A surge of stomach acids, accompanied with last nights spirits threatened to spill, as she gracelessly attempted to get up. Y/N glances at her watch, groans, then rests her head in her palms. She glances down, realising that she slept in the same clothes. Her heartbeat started vigorously banging against her ears, as yesterdays memories started to come back; face heating up, like a hob, making her all the more sick.

'So stupid.' Y/N muffled into her palms, rubbing her face as she shuffled towards her neatly placed uniform. She shouldn't have drunk, she shouldn't have spilt her desires to a bunch of strangers, and lastly she shouldn't have fallen for a man, whose, presumably, still in a relationship. Suppressing an involuntary gag, each time she bends over to fix her uniform, Y/N finally leaves her room.

'Y/N, dear. Are you coming right back after work?' Beatrice asks from her usual spot. Her face creased with concern, as she eyes Y/N, suspiciously. Y/N met her gaze, inhaling sharply, she tried to seem as lively as she could.

'Of course, ma'am!. _Damn_. Too enthusiastic. 'Good..' Beatrice, nodded to herself. She seemed distant, immersed in her own thoughts.

'I'm just worried, that's all.' The old lady sighed, giving Y/N a weak smile. There it was, again. Irregular beat drumming in Y/N ears, as a rush of anxiety passes through her body, making her ill again.

'Bye, Beatrice!' Y/N yelped, suppressing whatever was rushing up her throat, as she bolted through the door.

_____________________________________________

Work was as easy as it can be for someone who cannot survive a minor hangover on a few hours of sleep. The only thing Y/N could've been proud of was that she pretty much polished off an entire tile in the diner, and didn't vomit on the rest. If it wasn't for a co-worker constantly feeding her orange juice and sweet pastries, she would've passed out behind the counter. Being in such condition meant that work dragged on for what felt like years. However, Y/N didn't mind it. It was the perfect distraction; concentrating on not vomiting and pretending to look sober, helped her mind drift away from Diego. The clock is ticking, the apocalypse is coming and the eventual death or departure is due in less than a week. What if they avert the apocalypse, and then go home? Then what? Is Y/N going to sit in a retirement home, talking to her grand-kids, telling them a story of how she fell in love with a man from the future? How she supposedly had children with a man she might not love as much as the future boy? _Please_. No wonder she feels nauseous. And thinking about stuff like this, isn't making it any better. Eventually, the shift had to come to an end, something Y/N began to dread. Beatrice. Her last spoken words echo in Y/N mind. Everything started to come back, all the conversations that led to that fateful confession, that Beatrice was going away, and Y/N was left with no place to stay. Well, not technically. But the thought of being a burden to her older brother, constantly bothered her. With each step closer to the door, Y/N was dreading the conversation. As Y/N opened the door, there she was, sitting in the kitchen, a hot cup of tea steaming as she gently blows into her cup.

'How are you feeling, dear?' Beatrice asked, her eyes fixated on the cup. Y/N knew Beatrice well enough, to know that this conversation is going to be awkward for both of them.

'Well..' Y/Ns voice trailed as she took off her shoes and walked to the kitchen, slumping into the seat next to Beatrice. 'I wasn't late, which is good.' She gave Beatrice a weak smile.

'You know, in these last few days, not only I barely saw you, but you look like you haven't slept right for quite some time.' Beatrices eyebrows creased in worry as she took a careful sip of her hot tea.

'No, I..I'm fine. Just I'm helping Elliott with.. Stuff.' Y/Ns eyebrows creased, too, looking for a more logical explanation, to whatever her and her brother were going through right now.

'Does your brother have enough space?' Oh, here we go. Understanding where this is heading, Y/N shifted in her seat, focusing on the outlines of the table.

'Uh-huh.' Y/N muttered, as if avoiding what will follow.

'My son is coming tomorrow.' Beatrices eyes finally looked up. She struggled to maintain eye contact, as her eyes returned back to her cup. 'I'm sorry that it's all so sudden.' She quietly murmured. Y/N knew that this wasn't how Beatrice wanted to say goodbye. They spent a few years together, Y/N helped her and took care of her,specifically when she suffered a stroke. One could say she was like a daughter to her, especially when her son was barely present.

'I don't have much to pack, so I won't be long.' Y/N gave Beatrice a light squeeze on the shoulder, before she shuffled to her room. Looking around her bedroom, realising how little stuff she had, made her feel pathetic. At the age she was, she had nothing; no decent education, not a coin to her name and no promising future. Great. Yes, she was taught how to sew, but she knew well enough that she would never earn enough money off of it, not in Dallas. Sighing she sat on the bed, leaning down and reaching a suitcase, from underneath. An hour passed, and Y/N was putting her final belongings into her suitcase. Clumsily dragging it down, she went to see Beatrice, who hasn't moved from her spot since. Meeting her gaze, Y/N saw that Beatrice was quite upset.

'You know, I just wish that you could leave this place. Go out there, and become someone. Because you're too good for this place. You're kind heart deserves more.' Beatrice spoke, as tears started to well up in her eyes. Y/N could not suppress it, seeing Beatrice like that, she walked up to her, taking Beatrices hands into hers.

'And I wish you all the sunlight, all the beautiful days and all the unforgettable memories wherever you go, Beatrice. Danke.' Y/N leans in to kiss Beatrices cheek. They share a warm embrace, as both of their faces are wet with fresh tears. 'You have Elliotts number, hopefully we can still get in touch.' Y/N reassured her, giving her shoulders a light squeeze.

'Absolutely.' Beatrice smiled, as tears continued to run down her cheeks. They held each other for a brief time, before Y/N finally let go, wiping Beatrice and her own tears, leaving that place for good.

_____________________________________________

Shutting the door behind her she exhaled loudly. There Y/N was. At her brothers house, suitcase in hand, looking for a place to stay. Familiar voices became louder, as she approached the living room. Vanya and Luther lounged on a sofa, as Diego paced around, a piece of paper in his hand, waving it at his siblings occasionally. Once they heard Y/N approach, Vanya suppressed a smirk; for someone who just as badly drunk, she looked pretty darn fine. Luther had a mouthful of whatever Elliott made this time, and Diego finally stopped pacing when he saw Y/N.

'Where were you?' Diego asked firmly, as he quickly walked towards Y/N. He placed his palm gently on Y/N cheek, softly moving it around, to look for anything unusual. 'When I got back, you were gone.' Diego whispered, as if to himself. His eyes darting from place to place, looking for something out of the ordinary. Y/N felt her breath stop, as his hand held her face, each breath gently warming her, increasingly hot, skin. His thumb rested on Y/N chin, caressing it gently; his finger occasionally brushing against her bottom lip. Was this intentional?

'I was with your siblings, and then I went home.' Y/N reassured, letting herself relax against his touch. Diego glanced at her suitcase, then back at Y/N, releasing her, he raised his eyebrow.

'Why the suitcase?' Diego crossed his arms in front of his chest, brow furrowed as he anticipated for an answer. Frowning, Y/N sighed looking down at her hand, firmly grasping the suitcase.

'The lady I lived with is moving to Houston. I need a place to stay.' She stared at her feet, flustered. 'Oh..' Diegos shoulders relaxed, his arms dropping to his sides.

'I thought, uhm.. Nevermind.' He shook his head, turning on his heel, towards his siblings. Giving them a small wave, Y/N walked past the room into the kitchen, where Elliott was placing different herbs onto what seems like a monstrosity covered in jelly.

'Elliott..' Y/N groans, as she drops her suitcase and flops on a seat next to her brother. 'Does it always have to be some form of jelly?' Y/N chuckled, raising an eyebrow. Elliott eyed his sister, rolling his eyes.

'Well..' He anticipates, as he attentively places a piece of mint on top. 'Luther seems to enjoy it.' He mumbles as he turns the plate around, eyeing it laboriously. Y/N glances into the living room, where a huge boulder sat next to Vanya.

'Have you seen Luther??' Y/N leaned in, whispering. 'That man ate thirty plain eggs for breakfast.' She pointed her thumb into the living room. 'If he's not fed long enough, he'll probably start chewing on the couch!' Y/N hissed, suppressing a laugh as Elliott tutted.

'Come on, sis. Not nice.' He glared at his sister, a small smirk growing on his face. They both break into laughter, as Elliott looks down, noticing the suitcase.

'Okay.' He pushed the plate of gooey mess away, pointing his finger at Y/N, a reassuring smile appearing on his face. 'Since we have all of this, uh, situation. I've been thinking..' He quickly gets up looking around, as if searching for something, his hands fidgeting by his side. 'I'm thinking..' He pauses, moving his hands in front of him. 'Curtains.. Well for now.' He puffs. 'We'll get you a bed, used one of course, since moneys tight...'

Y/N couldn't help it, but smile. Releasing a light chuckle she got up, her hands steadying her brother in his place.

'It's fine, I'll work something out.' She playfully nudges her brother.

'I've got todays newspaper somewhere, maybe there's some furniture for sale..' Elliot spoke to himself as he brushed past Y/N, disappearing further into his apartment. Shaking her head, Y/N shuffled towards the living room. Vanya scooted closer to her brother, softly patting a seat next to her. She had a tight-lipped smile, and eyes that did not match it; a hint of distress and defeat reflected on them. Y/N paused by Diego, as she noticed a piece of paper in his hand.

'Can I ask what's that?' Y/N got on her tiptoes, resting her hand on Diego's shoulder for balance.

'Me and Luther got stopped last night, by a limo. This person handed it to us, it's an invitation.. From dad.' He leant in, so Y/N could see better.

'Oh, so that's a good thing, right?' Y/N raised her eyebrow, releasing her grip and walking towards awaiting Vanya.

'Yes!' Diego agrees.

'No!' Luther contradicts at the same time. Both Vanya and Y/N glance around each sibling, like an intense match of tennis. Except in this one, they're bouncing a single brain cell, which they occasionally have to share. As the brothers begin yet another macho match, Y/N leans in to whisper.

'Vanya, you drank as much as I did, how the hell you look alive today?' She almost hiss, stunned.

'Well, when you confess your feelings to someone whose just slept with another person, it kinda sobers you up quicker.' Vanya chuckled dryly. She began fidgeting with her hands, glancing back at Y/N, she raised an eyebrow.

'Did.. Did you talk to that person? I hope it went better than for me.' Y/N face started to redden, when she realised Diego stopped talking, glaring at his sister and Y/N.

'Nope, didn't see him today.' He's standing _right there_. 'But don't worry, it'll work out for us..' Y/N leant in closer, her hand resting on Vanyas back, rubbing circles. 'One way or another.' She shrugged, looking hopeful. A loud whistle made them both jump, as Vanya glared back at Diego.

'Focus!' He vigorously waves the invitation in front, eyes burning into them like fire.

'Diego, this is a setup, and you know that!' Luther insists, clenching his hands into fists.

'Maybe..' Diego started pacing. 'But we still need to go.' He drops the invitation onto a table, as he continues to pace.

'Was one stab not enough for you? Or are you that eager for a Round Two?' Luther scoffed crossing his arms in front of him, clearly agitated. Considering he was reluctant before, it came of no surprise that he continuously resisted, whatever was coming their familys way.

'I think we should go.' Vanya shrugged, giving each other an encouraging smile. Luthers jaw dropped, his fists unclenching in defeat, as he dumps his head down.

'Vanya' He groans into his palm. 'He was the worst father, especially to you!' Luther started bending his fingers as he started naming all the reasons. 'He isolated you from the rest of the family, hopped you on pills and brainwashed you into believing, you had no powers..' Luther shook his head, as he rested against the couch, believing he made a good enough argument.

'Now I wanna meet him.' Y/N muttered under her breath, resting her head on her hand.

'Yeah, I have to meet him, right?!' Vanya gleamed in excitement. Elliott walks in, newspaper in hand, Y/N puts her finger to her lips and nods for him to sit on the arm of the sofa, next to her, passing her the paper.

'You know, he's gonna try to mess with us, like he did all these years.' Luther points to Diego, accusingly.

'Hey, we're not twelve any more, Luther. This time we got each other, right?' Diego swiftly jumped over the coffee table, sitting down to face his siblings, his eyes pleading, tone much softer.

'Look, no more number bullshit, from now on we're a team, a united front.' He leant in for emphasis. 'Team Zero.' He whispered confidently, reaching out to fist bump his siblings. After an awkward pause and unconvinced faces, Elliott leant in, in an attempt to give Diego a fist bump. Fortunately, Y/N was quick enough to swat his hand with a newspaper, giving him a scolding glare. Realising that he probably failed, Diegos hands dropped to his sides, his eyes shifting towards Y/N, who gave him a reassuring look.

'I need a breather.' Luther huffed, as he got up from the couch and left for the door.

'I guess I'll go after.' Vanya shifted in her seat, before running off after her brother.

'I'm gonna go, too.' Y/N stood up, stretching. 'I'm gonna look around the block, sometimes they sell off or give away some furniture. Perhaps I could find something there. Then I'll go get some groceries, because if I see something covered in jelly one more time...' She chuckles, giving her brother a raised eyebrow. 'Anyway, can I get you anything, Elliott?' She handed him back the newspaper, smiling. 'Besides gelatin, of course.' Y/N rolled her eyes.

'Uh.. Then I'm all good, thanks.' Elliott stood up, fixing his shirt.

'I'll walk with you.. If that's okay.' Diego suggested, much to Y/N surprise.

'Uh, sure. Of course..' Y/N glance darted to the ceiling, as she tried to suppress a blush. She failed. Before they took off, Y/N paused, glancing at Elliott, who was standing in the middle of the room, reading the newspaper, eyebrows creased in thought. Y/N rushed towards him, surprising him with a tight hug.

'Thanks.' She muffled into his shirt. A decade old cologne and a light smell of detergent, tickled Y/Ns nose.

'You're my little sister, you know I love you.' Elliott pulled away, playfully messing Y/Ns hair. 'Me, too..' She exclaimed, as she ran towards Diego, and the two of them left the building. Little did she know, that it was the last time she'll ever hug her brother again.

____________________________________________

'You don't seem so hopeful, any more.' Y/N hesitated, as her shoulder brushed against Diegos every other step. 'Nervous?' She gave him a soft nudge. Diegos stare was distant, he was lost in thought, it took him a second before he turned to Y/N.

'Mmm?' He creased his eyebrows, stopping completely. 'I don't get it.' He gruffs, halting his steps. Diego stares at Y/N with genuine confusion.

'What?' Y/N chuckles, turning to face him. His eyes immersed into hers, as if searching for whatever answer he's looking for.

'You and Elliott. How.. How? You seem so normal, and.. nice to each other.' Diegos face scrunched in incomprehension, as it was almost foreign to him. Y/N stepped closer, gently removing a strand of hair, out of his face.

'Well you see..' She placed her hands on his shoulders, gently squeezing them. 'Your father pitted you and your siblings against each other. To turn you into whatever the fantasy he had.' She shrugged as her hands slid down to his forearms, making soft circles with her thumbs. 'Me and Elliott... Well, we were both bullied. I was adopted, and he was just, peculiar, I guess..' Her gaze seems to drift away into her childhood. Elliott was almost a decade older, yet his fascination with science-fiction made him a town weirdo, especially in conservatively Christian state of Texas. Which, was ironic, of course. And Y/N.. Well she was adopted, at a young age. And people talk. They always do. Gossip started spreading that the child was illegitimate, that Y/Ns adoptive mother was unfaithful, which started to take a toll on the Gusmanns marriage. That was something Y/N was trying to forget.

'It was me and my brother, against the world. We held onto each other to survive. And of course, eventually we turned it into a strong bond. Call it teamwork.' She grinned, as Diegos gaze softened, his hands cupping Y/Ns elbows. He listened intently, his eyes almost puppy-like, with each moment shuffling closer to Y/N.

'Did you see me back there? Did you see Luther and Vanya? They stared at me, like I'm some sort of an idiot.' Diego inhaled sharply, as his forehead gently rested against Y/Ns.

'Diego, you're not an idiot...' Y/N whispered closing her eyes, savouring the moment, the proximity she longed for.

'We all have our battles. Our own defence mechanisms. Our own ways of dealing with things, you know?' Her hands slide up Diegos arms, settling on his chest; his heartbeat quickens, as it delicately thuds against Y/Ns palm. She felt her own body heat up, as her heart started drumming in her ears. This is getting out of hand, and unfortunately she's all for it. Screw the groceries and screw the furniture, she can sleep on the floor, in the street, as long as she can stay in this position for a little longer. His touch so pleasant, it's almost delicious. His aroma indescribable, yet so addictive; Y/N needs to steal at least one of his shirts, before he leaves for good.

'They will be there..' Y/N assures quietly, their noses occasionally brushing. 'Not only for themselves, but for you. They acknowledge your effort and appreciate it. People just have different ways of showing it. You'll see it eventually.' She wanted to nod in affirmation, but moving away from his face would be a sin. They both share a sigh, Diegos hands trailing down, as they rest firmly on Y/Ns hips. He gently pulls Y/N closer, needing to feel her whole body against his. It moulds perfectly against his frame, immersing himself into her touch completely.

'I'm proud of you.. And you should be proud, too.' Y/N breathed, their noses touching, their breaths intimately bouncing of each others lips. Just an inch closer. That's what he needed; to hear those words. A gentle hand taking away that damn brick, his younger self is holding, out of his shaken grasp. A gentle hand that cups, the repressed teenage boy, wiping the tears of uncertainty and doubt. Soft lips mouthing reassuring things, as the foundation of a demolished wall fades out of sight, completely. Diegos lips part, as his gaze shifts to Y/Ns mouth. Should he? He wants to, so bad. Yet, he hesitates.

'Shit..' He groans, as his grip tightens. 'I gotta go.' he murmurs, his eyes closed tightly, to bury his frustration. Y/N moves away from his face, to get a better look at him. In this moment, Diego seemed... Vulnerable. Like this embrace, this moment is what he needs, he craves. She glances at his parted lips, realising that her lips have done the same. And yet, there it was. That bitter taste. And it's not the hangover she suffered in the morning. Hesitation, with a hint of guilt. Diego isn't hers. Hell, she doesn't even know if he's Lilas, or any bodys, for that matter. And that's the issue; she simply doesn't know. And it doesn't make it any better, that Diegos eyes give away, a glint of reluctance. Lila will come back, she must. Eventually.

'Hey.. It's gonna be alright. You can do this.' Y/N smiled, her palms cupping Diegos face. His scruffy beard was rough against her palms, her thumbs tracing the outlines of his facial hair. Y/N leant in, as Diego held his breath. He reciprocated, as his eyes fluttered shut, anticipating. Just a little more, a little closer. Strands of his beard tickling her lips. Almost. She scrunched her face in regret, as she gently moved his face to the side giving him a soft peck on the cheek. Y/N and her stupid morals. Her lips lingered for a second longer, before pulling away out of his grasp.

'See you soon!' Y/N blurted, her gaze averted to the ground. Without waiting for an answer, she darted to the opposite direction. Her face burning red hot, as she went the wrong path, leaving Diego, stunned, with his fingers tracing the spot, that touched Y/Ns lips.

________________________________________

Y/N walked for hours. Her legs moved on their own accord, taking her further into the city. The time will come. It'd be ridiculous, for Lila just to disappear and never come back. The way she used to glare at Diego; animalistic desire. She's tough and assertive, with a dash of crazy. And she is, matter of factly, devilishly beautiful. Every time her dark eyes stabbed into Y/N, she hate to admit it, but it was somewhat arousing. Therefore, it made it worse. It all made sense. Why wouldn't Diego go to Lila? What does Y/N have? Adolescent teasing and occasional pep talks? _Please_. With each thought, her pace quickened, taking her further into the unknown. As sun began to set, Y/N knew that she was too far from her new home, and had to return, empty handed. Great, so much for being productive. The moment she shared with Diego, completely shook her out of balance.

As she finally approached her brothers apartment, her hand lingered on the handle. She was so close. So close to kissing him, and regret started to really eat her from within. Y/N turned the handle, quietly stepping in as her eyes dropped to the ground. She inhaled sharply, as her breath started to shaken; a strong waft of metal left a tart taste in her mouth. Static noise rung in her ears, as a rush of blood flew into her head; vision going pale. She took a clumsy step back, as she tried to comprehend what was on the floor, in front of her. From where she was standing, it looked like unclear writing, in red. She gasped as her hand slapped across her mouth. It was blood.

'Elliott?!' She shrieked, as her vision began to blur, chest heavy, as breathing became a challenge.

'Elliott!?' Y/N repeats, as loud as she can, panic and horror reflecting off her face. Two figures appear, the bigger one rests on the railing as the other one rushes downstairs.

'Y/N!' Diego shouts, as they meet halfway on the stairs. He catches Y/N in his grasp, carefully pressing her against the wall. Diegos grip is firm around her shoulders; eyebrows creased, eyes wide, his lower lip trembling.

'I'm..' He takes one of his hands,softly cupping Y/N cheek, catching a single tear that runs down it. 'S-s-sorry.'


	8. Öga for Öga

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Y/N has to deal with her brothers passing, but she has been given a second chance at life. Emotional turmoil ensues, as her and Diego have to fight their own demons. However, what doesn't kill them, makes them stronger... Right?
> 
> Warning; swearing, mentions of death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing this chapter is somewhat of a struggle, because I did experience death of a close one (quite recently) and I've seen people react to horrible deaths of family members, so I felt that there was so much to write; so much emotion, the complex thought process, the immediate reaction of anger, grief, denial and etc. However I did try to filter it as one moment couldn't take that much (it did anyway, ah well). Sometimes going through your own work over and over again, can hinder its quality. Therefore, I hope I didn't ruin it THAT much.

Time became stagnant. Vision completely blurred out, as outside voices became utterly muted. Chest heavy, which made gasping for air so much more difficult. Legs threatening to surrender underneath. The only thing that's holding firm enough is a pair of athletic hands; a solid hold, yet fingers soft and comforting as they rub gentle circles into Y/Ns shoulders. Muffled voices were suddenly replaced by a static noise, as Y/N blinked, clearing her vision from tears. Diego stood there, giving her all the time in the world, attempting his best to try and ease the situation. Yet his eyes gave away; they gave away, that what will follow, will be one of the most painful experiences ever.

In peripheral vision, Y/N saw a covered body; lifelessly dangling legs, wearing slippers she gifted years ago. The same slippers, that her brother wore proudly, despite the fact they were worn out completely. The same slippers that Y/N gifted after her ex-sister-in-law left, leaving just the two of them behind a Christmas table, a first of many. Her face fell; in despair, in horror, in lack of oxygen and blood rushing away from her face. She started going as pale as paper, as her limbs became numb, and her vision started to fade. Before she could succumb altogether, a firm shake revived Y/N, who desperately began to choke for air.

'Luther! Get some water. Now!' Diegos tone was firm and demanding, as his eyes stayed alert, grasp tightening around Y/N shoulders.

'I'm here, it's gonna be okay, you hear me?' Diego whispers soothingly, as his forehead gently rests against Y/Ns. Her forehead, damp with cold sweat, eyes swelling more, with each tear. But it's not going to be okay. And he's not going to be here. Like a broken down engine, Y/N felt herself restart; a wave of adrenaline began to power her, feet steadying beneath. The adrenaline rush, the fuel that gave her energy; it was _rage_. She began to shake her forehead vigorously, as her hands quickly pressed into Diegos chest, roughly shoving him away. In just one day, in less than 24 hours she lost everything. Y/N not only lost a brother, but emotional support, a sense of stability and unconditional love, that they both were blessed to share. Y/N began to rush up the stairs, towards the covered body, as Diego attempted to stop her, grabbing her wrist.

'Y/N..' He pleaded, much to his dismay, she snatched her hand away from his grasp, ignoring his beseeching. Time is ticking and in a few days they're all either going to die in a nuclear war, or the Hargreeves siblings will return to their time. And what does that leave Y/N? Nothing. A hollow feeling in her heart and memories of what it was like to have a family. Clenching her fists, she stomped towards the dentist chair. That _fucking_ dentist chair. A man reminiscing of a brick wall jumps in Y/N way, glass of water in hand.

'Y/N.It's best if you don't-' Luther held his hand to stop her, but his attempts were futile. With a rush of energy, she pushed the giant away, making him spill water all over himself. What's in it for them? The second they leave, they'll forget her and her brother, anyway. Perhaps, if they hadn't appeared, her and Elliott would be okay. Carrying on with their mundane and boring lives. But at least they'd be together. Without hesitation, Y/N yanks the cover off the body. She drops the cover suddenly, suppressing a gasp with her mouth.

Adrenaline began to run out, as her body started to shut down again, bit by bit. Vision becoming unclear once more; but the glimpse of her deceased brothers face, etched into her mind forever. It was horrid. Face mutilated to a point,that it was almost unrecognisable. A job done by someone psychotic; destructive and sadistic, leaving only Elliotts eyes wide open, fear permanently imprinted into them. No one should die this way. No one.

'Elliott!..' Y/N wailed, chocking back the incoming tears. She took a step back, almost losing her balance as Diego waited there, to catch her, to hold her. He swiftly gets in front of Y/N, shielding her from that cursed image. Luther takes, and carefully places the cover onto Elliotts lifeless body. Diego drapes his arms around Y/N; one hand on her waist, the other cupping the back of Y/Ns head. He rests his cheek against Y/Ns hair, inhaling deeply, as his grip tightens.

'I'm here, and I'm going to be here. To protect you. To be here for you, alright?' Diego quietly whispers into Y/Ns hair. There's that lie again. There's that false reassurance. Y/N grits her teeth at the thought, wiggling out of Diegos hold. She captures his broad shoulders, as nails sink into his skin.

'Really, Diego? Are you really going to be there for me?' She narrows her eyes, her tone is sharp and accusatory. Surprised, Diego looks down, avoiding her embedded gaze, as she continues.

'Because in a few days, we either perish or you all leave me to go back to 2015.'

'Actually, it's 2019-' Luther interrupts.

'Whatever!' Y/N rolls her eyes, releasing Diego out of her grip. He's silent, shoulders slightly slumped down. She was right. They either die, or leave her on her own. Stuck in Dallas, in 1960s with absolutely nothing. Bitter taste of guilt fills his throat, as he swallows, his mouth increasingly becoming dry. He glances at Luther, who just shrugs, admitting defeat. Diego has failed. He failed to do one thing, he promised himself to do. To protect others, to be their hero.

And there it was; a corpse, behind him, of a person who warmly welcomed and cared for him and his family. And a woman, who he increasingly became infatuated with, spitting out the truth at him and his brother. Cold, hard truth. Worst of all, there it was. A suppressed memory, surging into the light. _Eudora_. A woman, he was madly in love with, years ago. A woman, who, despite everything they've been through, held a dear place in his heart. A woman, whose lifeless body he cradled and sobbed into, as she passed from a bullet wound. And what about others? Pogo? Ben? _Mom?_ The repressed memories started eating him from within. He felt sick to his stomach. Diegos lip began to tremble as Reginalds voice started to chime in his ears.

'What's this?' Y/N snapped, her eyes darting back to Elliotts corpse. Both, Luther and Diego followed her gaze; a pointy object peaked out of the covers. Y/N took a careful step towards it, hesitantly removing the covers half way.

'Diego, isn't this your knife?' Luthers brows creased, as he inspected the item. It was carelessly lodged into Elliotts thigh, a puddle of damp blood seeping out of the fabric. Diego opens his mouth to speak, but no words leave his mouth. His lower lip begins to quiver, as he shuts his eyes tightly, and opens them up again. Deeply exhaling, he approaches the corpse; leaning in, he gently removes the knife, carefully eyeing it. '

It is.' He nods,with a hint of confusion in his voice.

'W-why is your knife lodged into my brother??' Y/N points, her eyes searching Diegos, desperation written all over.

'Why..' She hisses, as tears begin to well up again. He gives it a careful look, but before he can answer, Y/N snatched it out of his grasp. She points it towards Luther and Diego, which became blurry figures,as tears started pouring out of her eyes, again. Y/N looked furious, as her own brothers blood, dripped onto her fingers. She was ready to pounce, to attack. Hell, she didn't know what she was doing, but what does she have to lose now?

'I'll ask once more.' She pants. 'Why was your-' She accusingly points to Diego. 'Knife-' Y/N approaches him, the knife resting against his chest. Her eyes were dark with rage, any morality she believed in, out the window. She's lost everything, therefore she's not afraid to lose herself. In this moment feelings, previously felt had no meaning, no emphasis. From this moment on, it was just her against the world. On her own, all alone.

'Lodged into my brother?' Y/N whispered the last part, as tears fell onto her cheeks.

'I-I..' Diego began to stutter again. He had no words. His dark demons eating away, with each tear that fell down Y/Ns face.

'The Swedes got Elliott. The same men, that attacked us at the consulate.' Five appeared out of the kitchen. His face was stone cold, lips pursed tightly as his eyes were searching for a better explanation. Panting, Y/N dropped her hand down, giving Diego and Luther an apologetic look.

'Look-' He flashed in front of Y/N, leaning against the rail. ' _öga för_ öga. That's swedish, it means 'eye for eye.'' Five explains. He slowly approaches Y/N, giving her a light squeeze on the shoulder.

'I'm sorry for what happened to Elliott. Truly.' He looked down. For the first time in Y/N eyes, Five looked... _Human;_ his guard was temporarily down as he was giving condolences to someone, he had respect for. 'He was a good man. He did not deserve it.' Five frowned, pressing his lips.

'At the consulate..' Y/N recalled, her eyes narrowing. 'I've hit one of those.. Uh, Swedes. But surely, I didn't kill them..' Y/N face scrunched in confusion.

'Precisely.' Five nodded in agreement. 'They're trained assassins, they've had worse. No offence.' Five shrugged, as Y/N began to collect herself. 'This was a set up.' He glanced at Y/N hand, which was holding a knife.

'No matter how much of an idiot, Diego can be. He never leaves his weapons lying around.' Five thinks out loud, receiving an angry glare from his brother.

'You need a minute. Trust me, I know. We all know.' Five sighs. Y/N slowly nods, giving each of the siblings an apologetic look, once again.

'You're right.' She sighs, shuffling towards the kitchen. 'You're right...' Y/N muttered to herself, entering the kitchen and slamming the door behind her, leaving the three men behind. The radio began blasting through the closed doors, as Y/N started shrieking, followed by a loud crash of, presumably, plates.

_________________________________________________

Y/N traces her fingers across the marked adverts on the newspaper. He looked through local ads for her, like he said. With each tracing, her sobbing became worse. It's My Party by Leslie Gore blared out through the radio speaker.

♬It's my party, and I'll cry if I want to  
Cry if I want to,♬

She pressed her palms together, leaning into the tips of her fingers. The table was covered in napkins; some were covered in blood, as she had wiped Diego's blade clean. Y/N closed her eyes tightly, trying to compose herself. Eyes began to sting, as she had no more tears left to cry. A banging headache made her groan into her palms, as the loud music increasingly turned into a nuisance.

♬ cry if I want to  
You would cry too if it happened to you♬

A sudden knock made Y/N jump, as Diego peered through slightly ajar door. He eyed the surroundings; bloody napkins, a pile of smashed plates and Y/N collapsed in her seat. Her eyes were swollen, cheeks and nose slightly reddened. Y/N glanced his direction; he seemed upset. His gaze shifted to the floor

'Five wants all of us in the living room in five minutes.' He muttered coldly. Before he could close the door, Y/N got up to stop him.

'Wait!' She yelped, turning on her heel to turn off the radio. 'Come.. P-please...' She begs, pointing to a chair next to her. Once she began to cool off, she realised how much of a scene she had made. Y/N felt like an asshole, especially how she acted towards Diego. She shouldn't have said all those things, although true, none of them had anything to do with her brothers murder. She knows well enough, that if they could've, they would've saved Elliott. And she knows damn well enough that it's her own damn fault for becoming attached to people, who don't even belong in this timeline. Diego hesitated, before sitting down. Y/N rubbed her face, groaning.

'Diego...' She reached for his hand, which he shifted, but did not move away. He was angry; at himself mostly, but Y/Ns words did hurt. _He_ would never harm her. And it pained him to realise, that he had, once again, let someone, close to his own family, die.

'I'm so, so.. So sorry.' Y/N exhaled. 'I-I shouldn't have said those things...' She gently squeezed his hand. 'I didn't mean to be such a jerk to you, all of you.' She choked. Diegos face began to soften, as his thumb caressed her knuckles. 'It's just a lot to take in..' She hangs her head. Trying to collect herself, she takes a few breaths before lifting her head up.

'I know what it's like to lose someone you love.' Diego leant in, his gaze was compassionate, with a hint of grief as he remembers those, he lost. 'Our brother, Ben.' He continued. 'Died on a mission, which our Dad made very clear, was our fault.' Diego frowned at the memory. 'He was a decent guy, he didn't want to f-fight a-anyone.' His stutter appeared again, as the memories made him skittish.

'I miss him. I-I do.' Diego inhales sharply, closing his eyes to gather himself. 'But now I've realised.. That until I've got someone by my side, it's easier to cope.' Diego takes Y/Ns hand, his lips gently brushing against her knuckles. 'And if you let me..' His breath hot against her fingers. 'I'll be by your side. I promise.' Y/N frowns at his words. 'One way or another.' Diego gave another soft peck on her knuckles, gaining a shy smile from Y/N.

'C'mon.' He gets up, lifting Y/N up with him; her hands firmly placed into his. 'Five's waiting.' He glanced at his knife on the table. He reaches for it, but Y/N stops him.

'No!' She exclaims, much to his confusion. 'I'm keeping it.' She quickly snatches it, placing the knife into her pocket. Diego gives her a puzzled look, as they both walk out the kitchen, hand in hand.

_________________________________________________

'Before we waste any more time...' Five pauses, glancing at Diego. 'The details are all irrelevant, but...' Fives brows furrow, pressing his lips together. 'I've found a way home.' Y/N heart dropped. It's too soon. Diego gave her a promise.

'What? Really? What about the doomsday?' Luther crosses his arms, in front of his damp coat.

'Won't happen.' Five shakes his head.

'And the 2019 apocalypse?' Diego raises his eyebrow.

'Everything will go back to normal.' Five huffs in frustration. 'Luther, you get Allison. Diego, Klaus. I'll get Vanya. We haven't got much time.' Five reaches for his pocket, revealing four watches. 'We meet in the arrival alley.' He continues, as he hands Luther and Diego their watches, after he puts his own on his wrist. 'I've synchronised them, so we've got about 77 minutes.'

He halts in front of Y/N, his hand stretched out, watch in hand. 'Here.' Five gives Y/N a tight-lipped smile. 'It's a risk, but...I'm giving you a choice. You have..' He glances at his own watch. '76 minutes to make a decision.' Luther gets up from the sofa giving an optimistic nod to Y/N. 'Okay, let's do this.'

Diego eyebrows crease as he holds his hands in the hair. 'Whoa, whoah, whoah.' He gives Five a suspicious look. 'You show up, drenched in blood and you expect us to believe, that everything will go back to normal?'

_Damn_. Diego was right. Y/N gave Five a good look, realising that the boy, was in fact, covered in blood. Immediate thought was to put a dead brother and Five, drenched in blood, together; but she quickly swatted that idea away.

'What about Dad? What about JFK?' Diegos eyes narrowed.

'Look, we actually have a chance to make things right. And we're taking it!' Five is becoming increasingly agitated, as time is ticking. Diego shifts in his spot, glancing at Y/N.

'I have to say goodbye to Lila.' Diego admits. And we're back to square one. Ever since, they almost shared a kiss, Y/N completely forgot about her. But Diego is about principle; about righteousness. Y/N hates to admit it, but she's learning to respect it. They shared so much, including Elliotts bed; the thought of the latter made Y/N inadvertently roll her eyes.

But, if Y/N is given a chance, a chance to go to the future with Diego, perhaps there's a chance for them to be together. Perhaps.

'Diego, Lila doesn't give a shit about you!' Five yells, constantly glancing at his watch. 'She's one of them.' He breathes, as Diego refuses to believe him. 'She's part of the commission. She was using you, to get to me.' Five stared Diego down.

Diego couldn't believe it. All those walls were built for one reason; to protect himself from outside world. And what Lila did? She broke them down, breaking him down with them. She tricked him, big time. Not only his emotions were messed with, but all this led to him endangering his family. Every little secret he had slipped in the moment of weakness, every insight, every thought. It was used to get to his family, and unfortunately, to Elliott.

'This can't be.. You're wrong..' Diego creased his eyebrows, searching for a more plausible explanation. Five gritted his teeth.

'Look, if you don't do this. I'll kill you myself.' He points to his chest, before flashing out of the building.

'Women, huh?' Luther pats his brother on the back.

'Fuck off, Luther.' Diego scoffs, nudging past him.

___________________________________________________

The drive to Klaus' place was as quiet and awkward as one could imagine. Driving in Elliotts car was a bittersweet experience; seeing all his stuff scattered around, made it feel like he was still alive and well. But both Diego and Y/N knew it wasn't true. Then there was Lila. A revelation that Lila was an agent, someone whose mission was to infiltrate and get out, was a plot twist Y/N did not expect; although it did not surprise her. She glanced at Diego, who had both of his hands firmly set on the steering wheel, his eyes fixated on the road, betrayal written all over his face.

'I'm sorry, Diego.' Y/N hummed, breaking the silence. 'But if it makes it any better.. I'm here for you.' She reaches for Diego, but he holds his hand for her to stop.

'Don't.' He growls, exhaling sharply. Y/N shifts her legs to the other side, resting her head against the window. Perhaps, she shouldn't have gone with him. Wanting the car seat to swallow her alive, she hugs her shoulders for comfort. The day is getting worse. Stuck in a dead brothers car, with a man, whose sulking over another woman.

'Not everybodys there to screw you over, you know.' Y/N mumbled into the window. Dead silence. Just a slight whistle of air between the crevices in the vehicle. Y/N became increasingly annoyed, as she knew she had her own shit to deal with. If she needs to make quick decisions, leave 1963 and start from scratch, then Diego should get over a fling, at least for the sake of their siblings. Finally, Diego sighs, relaxing into the drivers seat.

'All my life, I tried avoiding shit like this. Because I know how it ends.' His gaze was distant, but his hand seemed to sneakily rest on Y/Ns knee. 'I was manipulated.' He scrunched his face in disgust. 'Like we were, when we were kids..' Diegos eyes narrowed, as he tried to focus on the road.

'Hey..' Y/N cooed, resting her hand on his. 'Like you said, it's easier to go through things, when there's someone there for you. And you made a promise.' She wrapped her fingers around his. 'And I'm making one myself.' Y/N smiles, as she gently tugs at his hand. Diegos lips moved, a small smile appearing on his face, but it doesn't reach his eyes, which are still mapped with uncertainty.

'I guess we're even, huh?' After a long pause, a silence that began to grow on them, Diego raised his eyebrow, smirking slightly.

'What'dya mean?' Y/N scooted closer to Diego.

'We both acted like jerks today. We had our reasons. But still.' He shrugged awkwardly. Y/N stifled a chuckle, as she grinned at Diego.

'I guess we did. Let's try to avoid that in the future.' She smiles, her head resting against her seat, as she reaches to fix Diegos hair.

'I can't promise that.' Diego teased, finally displaying a smile, the one Y/N has missed so much.

'Yeah, you seem like the kind.' Y/N playfully nudged his shoulder, sticking her tongue out.

'Oh ha-ha.' Diego rolled his eyes, as they both shared a laugh. He bites his lower lip, as his eyes turn back to the road. And then it hits him.

'Wait, does that mean you're coming with me?' He turns to look at Y/N, eyebrows raised in anticipation. Seeing that they're almost there, Y/N smirks glancing at her own watch.

'I don't know. I still have 57 minutes left to decide.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eeesh, here we are. Slow burn is still going strong, and we all need to go through this like men, damn it! 
> 
> With each chapter, there's increasingly more profanity. I apologize to those, who are not comfortable with it. However, the narrator is almost like a conscience of the characters within, especially for Y/N. Since she lost her brother, and her life is turning upside down (& inside out (sorry)) Y/N is starting to change; becoming more on an independent individual, instead of someone else's keeper (be it Beatrice, or Elliott). Thus, she begins to be more aware of her OWN emotional being, not just those around her. And yikes, is it messy. 
> 
> But it gets better... I hope. Uh, anyway.
> 
> Thank you for reading! Thank you so much for the comments, they drive me to do better and to write more. Others acknowledging my writing, to me personally, is euphoric. I struggle with depression, and writing really began helping me go through it, especially during this pandemic. 
> 
> So when I say thank you, I REALLY mean it.
> 
> Anyway! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	9. Patchouli, Lavender and Cinnamon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Diego and Y/N go out to look for Klaus. Y/N finally meets, their deceased brother, Ben. Diego and Y/N say their goodbyes to Elliott, and Diego is taken away by Lila. Y/N is left on her own, with little time to make it to the alley way. 
> 
> TW; Swearing, mention of death.

Arriving at Klaus' place is somewhat of a drug-induced trip itself. In the middle of nowhere, stood a colonial-style mansion; chaotically scattered exotic plants, intertwined with the architecture. The estates clean and classical outlines completely juxtaposed it's fairly South Asian surroundings. Very unlike Dallas, yet very like Klaus. Dozens of people lounged around; meditating, gardening, some were dancing half-naked, and some were indulging themselves in various sexual activity.

'I knew he'd be doing something weird and pervy.' Diego muttered under his breath, scrunching his face in disgust, as they entered the building. Entering it felt like entering a different dimension; French style décor, around 18th century Louis XV, to be precise, which was quite immaculate and surprisingly well kept. Surrealist paintings depicting, what seems to be Klaus, in different poses; somewhat of a holy figure, a prophet. Floral garlands draped carelessly around the foyer, as a light smell of incense tempted Y/N to indulge into this newfound place.

'Let's find Klaus, and get the hell out of here. Double time.' Diego whispered, as his hand slithered around Y/Ns elbow, gripping it securely. Unfortunately, their presence was not ignored. With each move they made, prying eyes seemed to follow, as stray figures would pass by; glaring seductively at both of them, as their fingers would deliberately connect with Diego and Y/N bodies, inviting them to their next sexual adventure.

A taller figure approached Y/N; a beautiful blonde woman, slightly older, bright blue eyes gleefully gleaming behind wavy strands of hair. Her face, covered in freckles, like tiny kisses from the sun. Perfectly shaped teeth presented in a frame of full, pink lips.

'Newcomers...' The woman smiled once more, she was soft-spoken; her voice seductive, yet mysterious. Her eyes transfixed on Y/Ns; Y/N felt like being entrapped in one of the deepest, clearest oceans there is. It felt like some sort of witchcraft, sorcery, which subdued Y/N, waking up a spontaneous urge to immerse in whatever the mystery woman was offering. Y/N couldn't comprehend, whether it was the seductive approach, the intoxicating incense or the otherworldly surroundings that made Y/N want to throw her common sense out the window.

'Perhaps this delightful lady would like to join me on the swing...' She paused, admiring the person in front. 'No clothes to constrict us, just stimulating smells of patchouli, lavender and...Cinnamon.' The mysterious woman, leant in, gently taking Y/N free hand. She lifted it up, her gaze fixated on Y/N, as her lips softly brushed against Y/N skin. A shiver ran down Y/N, which she covertly suppressed.

'Perhaps not.' Diego leant in, pulling away Y/N out of the womans grasp and out of the hallucination, smiling sarcastically. As Diego hauled Y/N away, she spun around, attempting a polite wave, to which the mysterious woman replied with a blow kiss.

'Whoah.' Y/N breathed, much to Diegos annoyance. 'Allison mentioned something about a cult.' She gulped, absorbing their surroundings. 'But I thought she was joking...' Y/N voice trailed off, once they entered the garden. It was magical.

Like Garden of Eden, it was full of fruit trees; neatly trimmed edges, that reminded of an effortless labyrinth, someone in the distance playing the harp as others danced, to complete the fantasy. The surroundings exuded relaxing and calm energy, which Y/N desperately needed.

'There he is!' Diego enunciated, nodding his head towards his brother, his gaze avoiding anyone in their way. Y/N firmly in his protective grasp, they reached Klaus. He sat in a pile of fresh dirt, with a beautiful young woman, completely absorbed by each others embrace. Klaus seemed different today; he was very gentle, almost careful. It seemed unusual. However, Y/N shrugged it off, as she realised, she'd only met him once, and even then, he was intoxicated.

'Yes, daddy!' The young woman exclaimed, as Klaus and her were rubbing themselves against each other, sniffing each other like dogs on heat. _Gross._ Diego and Y/N scrunched their faces, turning away their eyes meet, bringing a rosy colour to their cheeks.

'Hey, daddy.' Diego coughs, looking away. 'Got a sec?' He taps Klaus' shoulder for attention.

'Diego!' Klaus called out, surprised, like he hasn't seen him in decades. He unglued himself from the girl, clumsily getting on his feet. He staggered towards his brother, like a baby deer. Klaus' eyes gleamed with joy, mouth slightly agape in disbelief. Y/N creased her eyebrows; his staggering, his facial expressions just seemed off. Maybe the whole cult was on some kind of drugs? Or worse. What if they're possessed? Y/N eyebrows rose at the thought, as she carefully eyed Diegos brother.

'And you're Y/N...' Klaus breathed, taking in every inch of Y/N. A loud sniff, a sharp inhale, as he closed his eyes, revelling in the moment.

'Yes..' Y/N chuckled awkwardly, as Klaus gently moved a strand of hair behind her ear.

'You know.. Touching is great.' Klaus giggled to himself, as his other hand stroked the fabric of Y/Ns shirt.

'That's enough. We need to go.' Diego huffs, this time taking Klaus by his elbow. Dragging around Klaus looked like dragging a one year old across a street; they know how to step, but a step too quick, and they start waddling to the sides, ready to fall. Y/N couldn't bare the sight; she quickly grabbed Klaus' other elbow, for more stability. He seemed to lean into the touch of both Diego and her, like he's been touch deprived for far too long. Perhaps it would make sense, seeing him and that woman doing... Whatever that was.

'Where we going?' Klaus asked.

'Five found a way home.' Diego answered quickly. People seemed to gather around the trail that the three of them left, chanting 'Prophet!', as they all rushed past. Diego hated being there. He hated being there to a point, where, if he'd stay longer, he'd stab himself; the only thing stopping him, is picking which knife to kill himself with. Ignoring the chants, Klaus leans into Diego, giggling.

'It's so nice to talk to you again, Diego.' He proclaims. Diego groans, pulling Klaus, along with Y/N behind a myrtle.

'Are you high, Klaus?' Diego hisses, grabbing Klaus by his shoulders. Klaus shakes his head.

'I'm not Klaus.' He states, proudly, giving a self-assured smile to Y/N. 'I'm Ben.' Klaus' gaze turned to Diego, it turned soft, more collected, pleading even.

'You're high.' Diego scoffed, releasing his brother, as he began to walk away. 'We don't have time for this.' He remarked.

'Look, I can prove it.' Klaus breathes. Diego takes another step forward, but is stopped by a soft pull. Y/N tugs at his sleeve, her eyebrows creased as she nods for Diego to turn around. He glances at his watch, then at Y/N; he walks up towards Klaus, crossing his arms in front of chest.

'Just ask me something, Ben would only know.' Klaus suggests.

'Okay..' Diego rubs the bridge of his nose, in thought. 'When we were little, what did you reprogram Allison's Teddy Ruxpin to say?' He asks. Klaus closes his eyes to relish the memory.

'Luther sniffs dad's underwear.' he sings. Diego covers his mouth with his hands in disbelief.

'Holy shit.' Diego breathes, as his arms capture his deceased brother. His eyes become glossy, as he tightens the embrace, burying his face into Bens shoulder. Reluctantly, Diego releases. Ben smiles at Y/N, stretching his hands out.

'Y/N. Can I get a hug?' His eyebrows crease in question.

'Uh, yeah! Of course!' Y/N chuckles leaning into Bens embrace. It's strong, it's comforting, it's yearning. And for her, it's all too much.

'Ben...' Y/N whispers to herself, her eyes welling up with tears. Her own thoughts drift to her own brother, who was lying lifeless on a dentist chair, back at his apartment. And it all starts to come back. Her shoulders start to shake, as Y/N begins to sob into Bens shoulder.

'Oh, no. I'm sorry, did I hug wrong? I haven't hugged anyone in seventeen years-' Ben begins to ramble. He pulls away, to wipe a tear. He rubs his index and thumb together as the salty liquid disperses on his finger, much to his bewilderment.

'Elliotts been killed.' Diego explains. Y/N sniffles, wiping her tears away with her hand, presenting both with a weak smile. 'I don't get it..' Diego frowns. 'Klaus said you didn't make it to Dallas.' He eyes his brother.

'Klaus says all kinds of things, but guess what?' Ben chuckles. 'I can posses him now! And it's freakin' awesome!' He exclaims, his hands seem to search for his brother and Y/N. It made sense, that being dead for so long, and being able to touch everything once again, is a phenomenal experience. No, who is anyone kidding. This makes _no_ sense.

'Huh?' Y/N mouth is slightly open, as she's trying to digest the current situation.

'C'mon. You'll tell us all about it, when we're back in 2019, okay?' Diego begins to drag his brother along with Y/N.

'Wait..' Ben pulls the two of them at a stop. 'What about Destiny's children? Klaus should be the one to tell them...' He sighed.

'Oh, no,no,no,no, okay?' Diego rushes to his brother, shushing him with his finger. 'We need someone responsible behind a wheel, okay?' Diego says, softly.

'Alright.' Be nods. 'Will you wait? I just need, like, ten minutes.' He utters.

'Actually..' Diego glances at Y/N; her nose and eyes are slightly pinkish, as she snuffles. Their eyes meet, reluctant, yet determined, they both nod. 'There's something we need to do first.' Diego breathes, glancing at his watch. 'We still got time.' He mutters to Y/N. 'Meet us behind Elliott's in 30 minutes, okay?' Diego yells as they rush out of the mansion; hand in hand.

______________________________________________

Diegos fingers turned white as he was pressing them into the steering wheel. Engine roared increasingly louder,as the speedometer pointed to 90mph. The car rattled and shook; it was not used to such speeds, making Y/N grasp onto her seat. Diegos eyes kept moving from the road, to the rear view mirror and to his watch. Y/N kept turning around in her seat also, looking for police, since they were going twice the speed limit.

Y/N mouth was dry from the anxiety, her whole body drenched in cold sweat, as the ticking of the clock echoed in her ears. In half an hour, she'll start a new life. In half hour, she'll leave her dead brother in Dallas, and she'll go to God knows where. She wishes, she had more time to think things through; there were so many questions unanswered, she's unsure if she'll fit in, wherever they're going, and what will that mean for her and Diego. Their constant soft gazes, light lingering touches and softly spoken words of encouragement. It could all spell out love. But. There was hesitation, coming from both of them. They both had to fight a battle of their own; Diego, whose indecisiveness is driving him crazy, and Y/N who doesn't want to be second best. Unfortunately, there was never time to properly discuss it. Including now.

'So...' Y/N wondered, disrupting those thoughts, that eats at her almost daily. 'Ben is dead.' She concludes.

'Well, yeah.' Diego states the obvious.

'But he was there... As Klaus. But he's dead.' Y/N scrunched her face. Diego glanced at Y/N, realising that she doesn't know Klaus' power.

'Klaus speaks to the dead. Sees them, interacts with'em.' Diego says matter of factly.

'Uh-huh.' Her eyes narrow, processing the words. She shifts in her seat, hesitating the one question running in her mind. Diego glances once again, his gaze softening as he understands where this is going.

'He's not very enthusiastic about using his powers. It can get messy, you know?' His tone softer. 'Klaus lost a man, he loved.' Diego gulped. 'Killed in Vietnam war.'

'The what war?' Y/N raised her eyebrows.

'Doesn't matter.' Diego shook his head. Too much information. 'Anyway.' He continued. 'Back in 2019, I had to tie him up, just for him to get sober. It's the only time he fully controls his powers. And all of this, so he could see the man he lost.' The car slows down as they approach a familiar street.

'So, did he see him?' Y/N asks. Diego turns off the engine. He sighs as he slumps against the drivers seat.

'I don't remember.' He narrows his eyes, trying to recall the moment.

'Mmm..'Y/N looks down at her fingers, frowning. So much, for seeing her brother alive again.

'C'mon. We haven't got much time.' Diego said coolly, before he darted out of the car.

______________________________________________

'Is it far?' Diego asks, looking around.

'We're almost here.' Y/N grunts, whilst pushing the dentist chair.

Just on the outskirts of Dallas, close to home, yet completely deserted on the day. A warm wind blew circles of sand, as bushes and trees rustled on the side of the road. A faint sound of water rippling in the nearby stream, indicated that they're almost there. Just the two of them, in the middle of the road, pushing a dentist chair and a corpse.

'Why the chair again?' Diego raised his eyebrow.

'Because-' Y/N grunted again, as she tried to pull the chair off the road, and onto the gravel. 'I don't want it-Hhngg' She continued, resting her body against the chair for an extra push. 'In the apartment.' Y/N sighed, stepping back and leaning down, her hands on her knees as she excessively pants.

'Why does it matter?' Diego scowls. 'You're leaving this place for good, right?' He waits.

'Start shovelling.' Y/N insists, picking the shovel off the chair and pushing it into Diego's grasp. He eyes her suspiciously before glancing at her watch, which she knowingly points at. Sighing, Diego drags himself to a decent enough spot, and begins shovelling.

In reality, Y/N knew that Elliott hated that dentist chair; he hated the idea of becoming a dentist, much to their fathers wishes. She had to get rid of that damn chair, for the sake of her brother. Y/N turned around, her own face creased with concern and uncertainty, as she clumsily moved Elliotts corpse off the chair, and placed it gently on the ground.

Doubt began to shadow her need to get away from Dallas. A common mistake, that a lot of people seemed to do; she began to overthink her decision. Y/N felt in her heart, that she wanted to get away, especially after she'd lost everything. The only thing she could cling to now, are the Hargreeves. But, for how long? Is she leaving her home because she wants a new life, or she's leaving it for a man? The latter thought, makes her shudder.

Y/N reaches a slope; it's steep, about 50 feet. A stream glistens at the bottom, water playfully bouncing off the rocks as it moves along the stream line. Y/N steps closer, gravel breaking off underneath and carelessly falling into the stream.

'Here goes.' She mumbles to herself, before she pushes the chair off. It bounces into different rocks, and bushes before submerging into the stream, as emerald green water and sludge engulf it completely. Y/N inhales sharply, rubbing her eyes and comprehending what just happened.

'Feeling better?' Diego grunts, as he shovels. Y/N walks towards him, slumping onto a boulder nearby. She stays silent, her face creased in thought. Eventually, she glances at Diego and shrugs.

'Thought it'd be more “symbolic”' Y/N mumbled, forming air quotes. She pulled her legs to her chest, as Diego continued shovelling. After a moment, Y/N face began to turn red, as she realised she was transfixed on Diegos body. And boy, what a view. Different veins and muscles flexing in various places as he carries on, his skin shinning from sweat, sun perfectly bouncing off of his caramel skin, like fine desert. _Mmm_. The sound of his grunts and huffs, makes Y/N wish, she'd hear them in different circumstances. Ugh _._ Y/N dropped her head to her knees, attempting to delete the lewd images from her mind. Thirsting over a man, in what seems to be, the most unconventional funeral, is just plain unacceptable.

'You keep avoiding my question.' Diego asks, piercingly.

'Huh?' Y/N narrows her eyes.

'Are you coming with me?' He huffs, climbing out of the pit.

'Diego, would you stay here in Dallas?' Y/N asks, her tone quizzical. Diego creases his eyebrows, before answering.

''Course not. I don't belong here.' He answers, as if it was obvious.

'Exactly.' Y/N sighs, her legs drop on the floor.

'And _I_ don't belong _there_.' She emphasises. Diego exhales, then leans on one knee. He takes Y/N hands in his, giving them a gentle tug. His gaze was soft, as patches of dirt messily covered his face.

'But you don't belong here, Y/N.' Diego pauses. 'You're too good for this place. Y/N, you have no idea, how much you can achieve in 2019.' He tells. 'It ain't perfect, sure. But it's way better than this place.' Diegos voice softens, dropping last four words to a whisper.

'I don't have an answer for you.' Y/N whispers back. She leans in, resting her forehead against his. 'I'm leaving it to fate.' Y/N shrugs. Diego inhales sharply; Y/N can hear the irritation in his breath. He collects himself before slowly pulling away.

'Fine. I'll be Fate. And Fate says we got about 17 minutes, before we leave this place for good.' He says it confidently, a small smirk appearing at the corner of his mouth, as he winks. With both eyes. The man can't wink. Diego quickly pulls Y/N off the rock.

'I'm going to need your help.' He points at the corpse, next to them. Y/N gulped, hesitated, then eventually nodded walking towards her brothers legs. Swiftly lifting the body up, they place it in the pit.

'Any last words?' Diego suggests. Y/N shakes her head, pulling out a photograph from her back pocket. She gives it one good look; she presses her lips, as her breathing quickens. Tears begin to well up in her eyes. Looking away, Y/N hands the photograph to Diego. He carefully accepts it, jumping into the pit, he gives it a good look. Two young children ride on a bike in a setting similar to their location; an older boy is behind the handle, as a much younger girl clutches to his neck, both seem to laugh hysterically at whoever was taking the photograph. Diego frowns, as his finger brushes against the image of the little girl. He bends over and lodges it behind one of the ropes. He swiftly jumps back up, takes the shovel and starts dropping dirt, back into the pit.

Y/N wipes her face with her arm, and leans in to grab a handful dirt; she takes a step forward and throws it onto the body.

'Goodbye, Elliott.' Y/N face scrunches, as tears continue to pour out of her eyes. 'I miss you so bad.' She whispers between sobs. A dark shadow hovers over the two of them, like an eclipse. Diego looks up, stops shovelling and frowns.

'Oh it's you.' He squints. 'And your stupid face.' Y/N shuts her eyes tightly, dreading to open them and turn around.

'Weird time to garden.' A painfully familiar voice quips from behind. _Shit_. That's all Y/N needed. That's all the two of them needed. Despite all the worries and doubts, Y/N felt that her and Diego's relationship has strengthened in the past few days; she became more comfortable around him, as he did around her. The encouraging and caring phrases, they told each other, started to have romantic undertones. And each hold, each caress became more intimate than before. Y/N had to admit, the connection, they've built up, was a key factor, regarding her decision to leave. Time is ticking rapidly and Lilas presence is maliciously deliberate.

'Can we talk? The truth this time.' Lila pleads, her tone much softer.

'Oh, I know the truth.' Diego scoffs, as he continues to shovel. 'You used me, Lila.' He grunts. 'You lied to me, about who you are, what you want from us...' Diegos voice drifted, as he continued to work on the pit.

'Everyone lies, Diego. And I was doing it to protect you.' Lila continued.

'All my childhood was bullshit manipulation.' Diego stopped, giving her a cold stare. 'I've had enough of it.' He huffed, continuing. 'So, I'm gonna finish this-.' Diego grunts. 'save the world, and me and Y/N-' He glances at Y/N. 'Gonna go as far away from here as possible.'

'Wha-With her??' Lila exclaims, taking a step closer, standing right next to Y/N. She avoids Y/N gaze, avoids her altogether. Like she's not there; like she's nothing. And as she's pleading her case, Y/N knows, that she's becoming a major obstacle in Lila's plan.

'Wait..' Lila leans in, looking at the pit. Realisation hits her. 'Is that the dentist-chair guy?' She raises her eyebrow in shock.

'Elliot.' Diego corrects her. 'Your Swedish buddies got him.' _What?_ Y/N yanked her head to the side, glaring at Lila.

'Wait, what?!' Y/N turned her body, so she's fully facing Lila, her intense gaze embedded into the person in front. Y/N hands began to shake, her lip trembling. Not out of sadness, but out of fury. Lila felt Y/Ns gaze; she turns around, but avoids her eyes. For the first time, Lila looks exposed, shocked at the revelation. Whatever it must've been, it seemed that her brothers death wasn't planned. Finally, she glances sheepishly at Y/N.

'Shit..' Lila mutters, biting her lip. 'I liked that shit-muppet.' After a short pause, she collects herself and returns to her malicious demeanour, but her eyes seem to give her away, just a little bit. Out of nowhere she pulls out a flask, pushing it towards Y/N.

'Come on, sweetheart.' She shakes the flash, suggestively. 'Take one for your brother, ay?' Lila licks her lips, smiling devilishly. Y/N has seen this before. Lila was a chaotic mystery, wicked from the start. Unfortunately, the fact that Diego implied that they're leaving together, puts yet another target on Y/N back. Glancing at the flash, Y/N gingerly shakes her head, narrowing her eyes in distrust.

'Knowing you, it's probably poison.' Y/N spits. Lila stares her down for another moment, then chuckles loudly.

'Whatever, sweetheart.' She shakes her head, walking towards Diego. 'To Elliott.' Lila raises the flask. 'I'll miss his crazy theories..' Lila saunters closer. 'And I'll miss sharing his bed, with you.' Her voice seductive, captivating. Y/N scrunches her face in disgust; she should've brought the bed as well, so she could burn it. Lila takes a big gulp out of the flask, and waves it for him to take. Unfortunately, it seems it's effectively disarming Diegos shields, as he unclenches his jaw and reaches for the flask.

'Jesus, Diego-' Y/N steps forward, pushing her hand out to stop him. 'Don't drink it!' Y/N yells. But she's too late. He ignores her pleads and takes a hearty sip. Wiping his mouth, he glares back at Lila.

'We done now?'He pushes the flask back. Lila nods as she spits out the liquid out of her mouth.

'Not yet.' She smiles as Diego begins to stumble, his stare fixated on Y/N, begging for help.

'Diego!' Y/N yells, as she runs towards him. However, she's too slow, as Diego slumps to the ground and passes out. Kneeling next to him, Y/N takes his face in her hands; she gently slaps him, constantly calling his name, to no avail. She looks at her watch, as her heart-beat increases; they're running out of time.

'Tut, tut, little girl.' Lila leans in. 'Always getting in the way of things.' She steps back, as Y/N jumps up.

'What the hell did you do to him??' Y/N continues yelling at Lila, to which Lila sarcastically laughs.

'None of your business, you little shit.' Lilas face darkens, as she takes a step closer to Y/N. 'Look.' She breathes, pointing a finger to Y/Ns chest. 'I'm sorry about Elliott. I really am.' Her voice much softer. Y/N covertly moves her left hand behind her back, slowly pulling out Diegos knife. Much to her dismay, it catches Lilas attention.

'But I'm not sorry for this-.' Lila grins before she sucker-punches Y/N, knocking her off her feet. Y/N collapses, a loud ringing in her ears, and a pounding pain in her head, as everything begins to turn black.

_________________________________________

A delicate tickle stirs Y/N awake. Slowly opening her eyes, she sees a cockroach crawling around her face.

'Oh, eww!' Y/N quickly sits up, slapping around her face to pull away the insect. The roach falls off, scuttling away in the opposite direction. Static noise rang in her ears, a gradual heat and pulsing coming from one side of her face. Y/N reaches for her cheek, only to pull away, hissing in pain. It was sore, sensitive and the swelling increased with each second. Second. _TIME_.

'SHIT!' Y/N exclaimed, glancing at her watch. They had 5 minutes left. Y/N swiftly jumped to her feet, only to awkwardly fall back. The world began to spin, as her body refused to function. She gets up the second time, closing her eyes shut, trying to stabilise herself. Opening one eye, she fixes her stance. Looking around, she realises; it was all real. No sight of Diego, only a neatly covered ground. Lila had some humanity in her, after all. Glancing at her watch for the last time, she exhales sharply and darts towards Elliotts place.

Stomping her feet on the asphalt, with every tick and every tock, panting immensely, as her body threatened to shut down at any moment. Vision would turn white every now and then, which Y/N would shake off, vigorously. That's definitely a concussion. Chunks of previous events would flash in Y/Ns mind, making her head all the dizzier. Where Diegos gone? What Lila has done to him? Is he coming back? Her stomach began to turn, making her sick. Still, probably the concussion.

Finally, she sees a familiar building. Heaving, she uses up all of her energy to reach the alleyway. Y/N looks down; one minute left. Familiar voices bicker in the distance, as figures of what seems to be Luther, Ben or Klaus and Five become clearer, with each step. Y/N finally reaches the three of them; adrenaline gives out, as Y/N crumples in front of Five. Still heavily panting, she glances up, then at a pile of vomit, next to Klaus.

'Ben?' She breathes, before hurling all over the concrete. Five groans, looking away, as Luther rushes to Y/N aid. Klaus softly shakes his head, and hums to himself, rubbing his temples. That was Klaus alright.

'Jesus.' Five grits his teeth. 'Idiots!It was a simple task!' He began pacing, a briefcase in hand. 'A stranger has put more effort in the last few days, than the rest of this moronic family in years!' He continued his rant.

'Y/N, what happened to you? Where's Diego?' Luther questioned, carefully holding Y/N in his grasp, as Five continued to shout.

'She.. took him.' Y/N breathed, as vision started going white. 'Sorry, Luther... For what happened.. Earlier.' Y/Ns eyes rolled back, as she passed out again. Fate decided; it was not her time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoah, boy. I hope this was my redemption chapter, since I didn't feel that good about the previous one. I had such a good time writing this, hence why it came out sooner than usual. I love Lila very much, so I do try to carry on the lovable villain trope, that we see in the show. She needs all the love! (Also Ritu Arya is hot af)
> 
> Also, since Lila practically stole Diego away, where does it leave Y/N? Will freshly extinguished flame, burn again? What about the promises Diego and Y/N gave to each other? Eeek! 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I love LOVE LOVE your comments and all the feedback!
> 
> ENJOY!


	10. Body Removal Service

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Y/N wakes up. Her and Klaus go find Allison. Y/N meets Raymond and Herb. She interacts more with other siblings, as Diego comes back from the commission.
> 
> Warning: Mentions of death, and some mild swearing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took me a while, but it turned out into something bigger, than I expected. Originally, I've planned to write a chapter, which concludes season 2, and begins a completely original story (my version of season 3, basically.) But I've had so much fun writing it. However, it has very little Diego/MC interaction, but I believe that it's very important for her to have some sort of friendship with other Hargreeves siblings, since she's going to be more involved with them in the future. I did mention at the beginning, that it is essentially an original character story, so I hope you understand and enjoy this chapter!
> 
> Thank you for reading! If you've got any feedback, anything you'd like to see in the story, let me know!
> 
> Also, if anybody wants to discuss writing, especially TUA I do have a tumblr. litholithium, just write to me and I'd gladly reply! 
> 
> Toodles <3

'And I'll miss sharing his bed, with you.' Lilas voice echoes in Y/Ns mind.

Her large, deep set of chocolate brown eyes simply captivating, her voice seductive yet affectionate and her body lingering in front of Diego, wanting to submerse into him, like she did many nights ago. The worst part to realise and accept, is the fact that this was legitimate. It seemed genuine. Whatever Lila is up to, Diego was her weakness. Unfortunately, she might have been his, too. As she approached him, saying those damned words, his posture changed. The pain and heartbreak, that seemed imprinted in his eyes, began to disappear at the memory of the two spending the night together. It meant something, alright. To them both.

Heck, if it didn't, Diego would've been by Y/Ns side. He would've listened. They would've been miles, no, years away from this place, starting their lives together. But he wasn't. Y/N should've known better; her and Diego aren't a couple, they're far from it. In this equation she was most likely to be the other woman. A rebound, that got nowhere close to sex, which is more pathetic. At least Lila knew Diego intimately; what he was like in bed, what he enjoyed, how he sounded, when pleased and how he looked without clothes. Jealousy is a bitter taste in ones mouth.

A memory of Y/N and Diego flashes as they stand close, their breaths intertwined, as noses playfully brush against each other, mouths slightly opened, anticipating in whatever is about to follow. That was her chance. Y/N should've leant in; she finally could've tasted Diegos plump lips, her fingers could've interlaced in his thick curls, gently tugging, as she wanted to do so since the beginning. His hands could've roamed all over Y/Ns body; slithering down her back, tugging her closer by her hips, so she could feel him. All of him. Y/N wanted Diego so bad, in all ways possible.

The thoughts of what could've followed, got Y/N all flustered. But it didn't happen. Doubtfully, it ever will. Stupid, stupid, _stupid_. Nice guys finish last? Y/N was so close to the finish line. Minutes were ticking away, as Diego and her promised each other to stick together, to leave together. Minutes were ticking away, as Y/N finally began believing that there's a future out there for them, after all. Minutes were ticking away, as Y/N realised that although she lost everything, she gained everything in Diego. That was her finish line. But unfortunately, morals and hesitation and not wanting to be second best, broke her metaphorical ankles, leaving her only a hair strand away from the finish line, she ached so much to reach.

Darkness began to infect her mind, as cursed images of Lila and Diego together began constantly flashing in Y/Ns vision. 'Tough luck, sweetheart.' Lila grins wickedly, as her hands roam Diegos body. 'Sorry, Y/N.' Diego pulls away, as Lila continues to devour his face. 'You're just not..Her.' He shrugged, turning back, laughing.'Why don't you follow your brothers steps, and just die.' Lila spits. She then joins Diego, as menacing laughter becomes louder in Y/Ns ears. Sitting alone in the dark, she covers them, shaking her head vigorously, as tears start running down her cheeks. 'No, no, no.' Y/N repeats to herself, as she rocks back and forth. She needs to wake up. 'Diego would never say this!' Y/N began convincing herself, as the laughter became louder and louder. 'No, no, no.' She spoke through sobs, as she tried blocking out the noise. 'Diego, would never!' Y/N began to shout back, tears streaming down her cheeks, her face turning red as she screamed at the top of her lungs.

'Diego!' Y/N gasped, as her eyes opened, frantically searching around the area. There was no laughter any more, no Diego, either. Just a stinging sensation on the side of Y/Ns face, and a buzzing sound in her ears. It all came back to her; she got knocked out, possibly getting a concussion. 'Ugh.' She groans, trying to shift her body.

'Whoah, whoah, Y/N. Be careful.' Firm hands grab Y/Ns shoulders, holding her in the position. Y/N slowly raises her eyes, to see the person in front. Luther hovers over her, eyeing her carefully. Five paces in the distance; his voice is still muffled to Y/N, but it's obvious, that he's upset; his hands frantically waving in front of him.

'Screw Allison, and screw Vanya!' Fives voice becomes clearer, as he approaches Luther and Y/N.

'Five, she got hit pretty bad.' Luther leans in across the table, to reach for a freshly frozen bag of peas. He returns to Y/N, gently placing it on the side of her face. She hisses in pain, as the cold stings her skin, and the bump, she generously received from Lila, shoots pain across her head. Five stops pacing, as he eyes Y/N, his eyes narrowed in thought.

'And still, she was on time.' Five grumbled, as he started pacing again.

'Five, she left with Diego. And she came back alone. Maybe Diegos in trouble?' Luther raised his eyebrow, whilst carefully resting the frozen peas against Y/Ns face. She reaches for his hand and weakly taps it, as a thank you. He returns with a small smile. Such a gentle giant.

'He's a responsible young man, no?' Five places his hands on his hips.

'Look, I get it.' Luther huffs, as he flips the bag over and returns it to Y/Ns face, gaining yet another hiss. He mouths sorry, as he continues. 'Everyone should've been there, and they weren't. Something must've happened.' The last three words came out in a low, hush tone.

'Screw, Diego, alright?' Five began yelling in Luthers face. Y/N scrunched her nose, as the noise sounded like pots and pants bashing against each other. 'Screw all of them! I was better off alone in the apocalypse.' Five rolls his eyes, turns on his heel and disappears into Elliotts room.

'Five! Come on.' Luther shifts in his seat, as if wanting to get up. He glances at Y/N, hesitates, then drops his head, heavily exhaling.

'Did Five just get meaner?' Klaus groaned, shrunken in a corner. He looked beat; completely exhausted. Like he ran a marathon and climbed a mountain, all in one hour. His eyes were closed, as he rubbed his fingers against his temples. Maybe the whole possession thing isn't “fricken' awesome”, as Ben said.

Y/N let out a loud groan, before clumsily pushing herself up. Her vision kept fading out, as images moved around, distorting her view. Y/N closed her eyes tightly, before she opened them again. She turned around to see Luther, who waited for any confirmation, that she's okay.

'That hag took Diego.' Y/N groaned again, leaning against the sofa. 'She sedated him, and since I didn't budge, she knocked my lights off.' She pushed her hand out, trying to reach for the glass of water, which Luther quickly passes to her. Y/N downs it in one go, and wipes her mouth with her hand.

'What are you talking about? You're still concussed, you need to lie-' Luther tries to push Y/N down, but she swats his hands away, giving him an empty glass instead.

'We had 17 minutes left..' She closed her eyes again, suppressing the tears. Y/N was tired; she was frustrated, hurt and emotionally exhausted. Luther sighed, placing the bag of peas in Y/Ns palms. He gets up, fixes his clothes and points to Klaus.

'Klaus, go check up on Allison, okay? I'll handle Five.' Luther turns to Y/N, pausing for a moment. 'And you... Don't move.' He scrunches his face at his own words.

'No, I can go. I need to find Diego. What if he's hurt?' Y/N places her feet on the floor; she glances at the glass, that's now placed on the table. Leaning in, she sees her reflection; her right temple is slightly swollen as a bruise is forming around her eye; a pinkish red, slowly turning into a dark shade of blue. 'Charming.' She mumbles sarcastically.

'Come on, Y/N. What if you pass out in the middle of the street? Who's going to get you? You need to-' Luther is interrupted by Klaus, who swiftly slides down next to Y/N.

'How about Y/N keeps ME company? We'll go to Allisons. She has the most comfiest couch, trust me.' He wraps his arm around Y/Ns shoulders, giving them a light squeeze. 'If she feels hazy, she can just pass out there. Although I feel a bit sensitive myself, but... Sharing is caring' Klaus begins to ramble, as Luther rolls his eyes and leaves to talk to Five.

'So...' Y/N rests her head against Klaus; she's still too weak to get up. 'Ben is nice.' She smiles, closing her eyes to rest.

'Eugh.' Klaus groans in disgust. 'I feel...Violated. I need a drink. Y/N? A drink?' Klaus gets up, quickly pulling Y/N with him. She stumbles a bit, holding onto Klaus' arms, as she tries to stabilise herself.

'I already feel, like suffering through the worst hangover ever.' She tries to rub her eyes; her fingers press in her right eye, making her squeak in pain. 'Damn it!' Y/N gritted her teeth.

'Hey, hey.. Come on, the blue hues really..' Klaus waves his hands, searching for words. 'Bring out your eyes, huh? Now let's go, find dear Allison!' He taps her shoulders, hooks her arm under his and slowly swaggers towards the stairs.

__________________________________________

'You see, Y/N. If I could've had some rum, this whole journey would've been a breeze..' Klaus leans into Y/N, as they finally arrive at Allisons.

The journey there was somewhat tricky; Klaus was still recovering from being possessed and Y/N fought off all the symptoms of a minor concussion. Resting against each other and relying onto each other's weight, made them seem like a couple of deplorable drunks. The two of them brought a lot of attention to themselves, too; Klaus still looked like an eccentric cult prophet, stumbling along the street, with a woman in his grasp, decorated with a black eye, stumbling after.

'Klaus, honey.' Y/N sighs. 'I knew Ben for five minutes, and you for a whole day... And I like him better.' Her words come out teasingly. Klaus put his hand on his chest, pretending to be hurt. A second later he turns to his other side, blowing a raspberry at an empty spot. Could that be Ben?

Y/N shakes her head, as she lets out a hearty chuckle; she felt a bit better, but she was desperate for any place to sit, to rest. Hesitantly, she knocks on the door. Y/N and Klaus see some movement, but the door doesn't open. Hush voices whisper behind, but the noise is too muffled.

'Allison! It's your favourite brother!-' Klaus bangs against the door, yelling.

'No, you moron!' She hisses, grabbing his mouth, to shut him up. He muffles into her palm, before licking it. 'Eww, Klaus! Gross!' She scrunches her face in disgust.

'Mmm! Concrete!' He wipes his mouth, giggling.

Finally, the door slowly opens. A loud creak startles Y/N and Klaus, as their heads move to see the person behind the door. A handsome man peers through, eyeing the both of them suspiciously. His gaze is careful and calculated, yet his eyes relax when he sees Klaus.

'Hey, Ray-Ray!' Klaus exclaims pushing the door open and passing him by, much to the mans dismay. The man groans, palming his face.

'Klaus, now is not the time!' The man insists, but Klaus has already waltzed into the middle of the living room. Y/N gives a sheepish look to the man, shifting her weight from one leg, to another. God, this is awkward. The man huffs in defeat, stepping back from the door, as he stretches his arm to signal her, to come in. He smiles a tight-lipped smile, clearly realising that he has no other choice. He seems like he has seen his fair share of oddities, and since Elliott is gone, Y/N is glad to find another person, she could relate to.

'I'm Y/N Gusmann. I do apologise for barging in so late.' Y/N steps through the door, stretching her hand out. 'From one normal person, to another.' She leans in as her voice becomes hush. 'I'm as confused, as you are. Pretty much all the time.' Y/N gives a reassuring smile, as she attempts to alleviate the tension. The man pauses, thinking. Eventually, he returns the smile, taking Y/Ns hand in for a handshake.

'Chestnut. Raymond Chestnut. Local civil rights activist. Allisons husband.' Raymond introduces himself confidently. Copying Y/Ns moves, he leans in whispering back. 'Whole year, everything was fine. Then all these people burst in, referring to themselves as Allisons siblings. I just... It's a lot to process.' Raymond tries to explain it. Y/N nods in agreement and holds her hand, for him to stop.

'Oh, I get what you mean...' She sighs as he releases her hand.

'You got a black eye... You're going to be alright?' Raymond raises his eyebrow as he eyes her injury, tapping his own right cheek.

'Oh that's fine.' Y/Ns fingers brush against the bruise. 'Me and Allisons brother, were burying my dead brother.' Y/N shrugs, nonchalantly. 'Of course, until his crazy ex-partner comes out of nowhere, sedating him and punching me in the face.' She continues. 'Well, at least she finished burying my brother.' Y/N glances back to Raymond.

His eyebrows creased, confused as ever; he opens his mouth, searching for the right response. He stops himself, shaking his head and walks off. Y/N feels a blush and a wave of cold sweat pass through, as she realises what she just said. Great, now she's part of the weirdo clan, too.

Y/N finally turns to Allison. She stands gracefully, her arms crossed in front of her; her hair is slightly messed up, as she angrily huffs it out of her face.

'Hey, Allison. It's really nice to see you again...' Y/N steps into the living room, where Klaus and Allison stood, their faces etched in concern as they're staring at the couch in front. She follows their gaze to a corpse of a blonde man; it's slumped on the couch, with one of his eyes gouged out, the other one lifelessly staring into the distance.

'Oh my-!' Y/N exclaims before putting her hand over her mouth. It was one of _them._ One of the so called Swedes, who killed her brother, lying there, dead as a doornail. The same man, who was choking Diego back at the Mexican consulate, the same man she knocked out with a fire poker. Y/N frowns at the thought; Diego is still missing, and the current events suggest, that her search for him, will have to wait. She slowly steps closer to the body, narrowing her eyes she breathes

'öga för öga..'. It was a bittersweet moment; Y/N would never wish death on anyone, and this mans death didn't bring her any joy, either. She'd rather have her brother back.

'Why did you say that? What does it mean? Do you know this man?' Allison began firing questions at Y/N. Allison was more formal and careful; which comes to no surprise, due to current circumstances and the time they first met, she was intoxicated.

'öga föröga is Swedish for eye for an eye.' Y/N repeated Fives words. 'Five thinks it was a set up, and.. I guess, Elliott was unfortunate enough to be at home that evening.' Y/N frowns at her own words, as she remembers the dreadful moment, she saw her brothers mutilated face. She shudders at the thought as a pair of gentle hands wrap around shoulders.

'I'm so sorry, Y/N. Me and Klaus know how you feel, right Klaus?' Allison mutters, as she rests her head on Y/N shoulder.

'Ouch, Y/N. I didn't realise... His home-made jell-O was divine.' Klaus wraps his sister and Y/N, resting his head on Allisons head. 'Ray-Ray! We need all the alcohol you can get your hands on!' Klaus yells, waving his hand for him to rush. He releases his grasp, trying to go and search for some booze himself. Unfortunately to him, Y/N and Allison pull him back, shooting daggers at him.

'Klaus, now is not the time..' Allison scolds as Y/N turns around, away from the dead body. Allison immediately notices her injury; her whole right eye covered in dark blue shades, as swelling finally eased off. Allison opened her mouth to question, but Y/N was quick enough to wave it off. Klaus dramatically sighs, bending over and resting his hands on his knees.

'So we're burnin' or burryin'?'

____________________________________________

It was early hours of morning. The sky began changing colours from a dark blue, to different shades of red and sapphire. Allison and, surprisingly, Klaus were cleaning up the living room, getting rid of any evidence, that would indicate a murder. Raymond and Y/N sat by the dinner table, a bottle of cognac between them. The two of them could not take their eyes off of the individuals casually dealing with a corpse. Everything seemed so professional; Allison and Klaus placed the dead Sweede onto a carpet, rolling it and tying it in a bunch of slipknots. Raymonds face was mapped in horror and bewilderment. Y/N had her head resting on her palm, staring at them in pure curiosity. The smooth, oaky cognac soothed her aching bruise, as her body began to relax. Y/N was exhausted, and the so-called knock out nap, did more damage, than good.

'God, why are people so much heavier, when they're dead?' Allison asks rhetorically. She grunts and huffs, finishing the last few knots.

'You got a lot of practice in this?' Raymonds tone ambivalent, as he raises his eyebrow. Klaus laughs, nodding.

'Yeah..' He fixes a loose strand of hair, and pushes it behind his ear. Raymond just stared at his wife and her brother, in utter shock. Disbelief, disorientation and a hint of dismay.

'Ray, sweetie. Can you help me with... this?' Allison pleads, her eyebrows raised in concern, as she's kneeling in front of the dead body. Ray glances at her and then at Klaus, who raises his hands in defence.

'I'm not lifting this up. Look at me,' He moves his hands around his body, as if presenting himself. 'I'm just too much of a gentle flower. And this gentle flower does not do heavy lifting.' Klaus mutters once he stumbles onto the couch. He glances to his side and begins a conversation, supposedly with Ben.

Ray hesitates for a second; Allison gives him a reassuring smile and waves for him to come over.

'Well, Ray, at least it's not your dead brother..' Y/N speaks into her glass as she downs the cognac. She's never the one to seek alcohol for comfort. Neither her nor her brother were drinkers, to begin with. Not until the Hargreeves showed up. But this time it was different. A complete _shit_ show, if you may. Since her and the Hargreeves siblings missed their chance to save themselves, the end of the world seems like it's inevitable. Carpe diem. Therefore, _cheers._ Y/N sighs as she pours some more for Raymond and herself. Raymond reaches for his glass, downs it in one go, and kneels next to Allison. He gives her a comforting smile, but it never reaches his eyes. Allison exhales grabbing the bottom half of the corpse.

'Ready?' She questions, her tone dubious. Ray doesn't answer, just swiftly nods. Allison begins to count down, both of them slowly stepping up, body in their grasp. 'One... Two...' Allison encourages. 'Three!' She yells out, as a blue flash appears. A strong wave of wind rushes through the living room and the dining area, scattering papers and other household items. Allison and Ray gasp as the corpse loudly thuds against the wooden floor.

Two figures appear; Y/N immediately recognises Diego, but as she hid behind the corridor wall, she couldn't see the second figure. She looked down narrowing her eyes and listening intently. The other person could be Lila. Y/N frowns at the thought, pulling herself closer to the wall, hoping it would swallow her alive. The cognac isn't doing her any favour either; she's considerably tipsy, gradually losing her sense of control over her emotions, as paranoia starts to kick in.

Y/N glances at the main door; she could dart out, without them noticing. She could go somewhere, disappear. But where? She feels like she's being suffocated, like someone just sat on her chest, and wouldn't leave. A wave of cold sweat rushes down her body, as her eyes nervously move from the living room entrance, to the main door. Y/N attempts to quietly inhale and exhale, trying to calm herself down. Millions of different scenarios rush through her mind; none of them in her favour. The door is _right_ there. Y/N did all she could, she helped enough. And the last few days on earth shouldn't be spent on some man. Well, he isn't just _some_ man. He's a beautiful man, inside and out. With humanly flaws, that every one has. He has his own vendettas, he has to deal, his own battles to fight. Y/N bumps her head against the wall, exhaling;she bites her lip hard enough to draw blood.

'Diego, Jesus!' Allison exclaims, shaking her hands as if trying to shake the shock she experienced, moments ago.

'All right, you're both here.' Diegos voice is urgent. 'I need to find Y/N. And then you two, you're coming with me.' He continues.

'Actually, Y/N is here...' Klaus voice trails off, as he's possibly searching for her in the room. 'She was here, before you two magically poofed into the room.' He says, nonchalantly.

'What?!' Diego exclaims.

A soft cough comes from the corridor, as Y/N grasps the door frame, slowly appearing from behind. She gives a sheepish nod, before her eyes dart to the unknown figure. It was a man, almost a head shorter than her. Dressed in denim-coloured suit, suitcase, similar to the one Five had, in hand. He smiles gleefully at Y/N, which she reluctantly returns. Not the worst case scenario, Y/N imagined.

'Y/N!' Diego rushes to her. He stops a couple of feet away, as he notices her bruise. He reaches for her face, but she quickly steps back, avoiding his gaze. 'Did she do this to you?' His voice was low and hoarse. Diego frowns, when Y/N nods, her gaze still averted as she bites her lip again, turning it white.

'Wow..Two, three and four.' The man in blue suit chuckles. 'We almost have an Umbrella straight flush here.' He proclaims enthusiastically. Diego glances at the man over his shoulder, then back at Y/N.

'I'm so sorry, Y/N. But now we haven't got much time.' He gently cups her hands in his. Diego pulls her closer, the two of them walking to the centre of the living room.

'Ray, this is my brother, Diego.' Allison sighs pointing at her sibling.

'Hey man.' Diego leans in pushing his hand out for a handshake. 'Sorry to barge in like this.' Ray is flabbergasted, his hand limply shaking Diegos, as he eyes him warily.

'And who's this guy?' Y/N leans in to whisper, nodding her head towards the mystery man.

'That's Herb. Five used to work with him at the commission.' Diego explained.

'We monitor and maintain the time-space continuum.' Herb cuts off.

'Wow.' Y/N breathes, turning around to face him properly. 'So like, time police?' She raised her eyebrow.

'Well, yes. Actually, time police sounds much better, doesn't it?' Herb smiles cheerfully.

'Guys, I was just there.' Diego continued. 'And it's awesome. I've got to look at the timeline. I know what causes the apocalypse.' He glances at his siblings, which stare back, confused. 'It's Vanya.' Diego confirms, as his grasp tightens around Y/Ns hand, his finger gently tapping against her knuckles.

'Wait, what?' Allison narrows her eyes, crossing her arms in front of her.

'Gonna blow up the federal building at Daley plaza. We've got very little time.' Diego pleads to his siblings.

'Wait, Vanya kills the president?' Klaus' nose scrunches, as he staggers on his feet.

'No, no, no.' Diego shakes his head. 'The motorcade drives off. Kennedy lives. But everyone thinks Russia is behind it. President included.' Diego explains. 'So they strike. Russia strikes back. Before you know it, it's raining nukes.' Y/N, Klaus and Allisons brows furrow, as they try to digest the information. Ray leans in on his knees, as he begins to pant. Seeing that there's a possible panic attack approaching, Allison rushes to his aid.

'Ray, baby... Are you okay??' She questions him, her grip steady on his shoulders, giving it a soft shake.

'No! Of course not!' Ray yells through sharp breaths. 'First of all, this son ofbitch beams into our living room-'He points at Herb. 'with yet another one of your brothers,-'His finger moves onto Diego. 'and he's talking about stopping one of your sisters from blowing up some buildings,' His gaze turns to Y/N. 'Her brother is dead in a ditch, and I got a dead man wrapped up in my best rug, babe.' Ray finishes his rant, panting heavily. A bead of sweat runs down his forehead, which Allison carefully wipes off.

'We can have that shampooed.' Herb suggested, interfering. 'We also provide body removal services.' He smiles proudly.

'Oh, yeah... That..That's great.' Ray mutters sarcastically into his palms, as he rubs his face, sighing in exhaustion.

'I love you Raymond Chestnut.' Allison smiled, taking his face into her hands. 'And I really wish I had the time for the nervous breakdown you deserve.' she inhales sharply.

'But you have to go...' Raymond frowns, looking down.

'I have to go...' Allison agrees. Allison kisses Raymond, her lips lingering on his for a little longer. Raymond closes his eyes, savouring the moment.

Diego glances at Y/N; his hands mimicking Allisons. He cups her face, his thumb gently caressing the bruise. Diego hesitates for a moment before leaning in.

'I know what you're thinking...So, stop it.' He rested his forehead against hers as he gulps. 'You know, the moment I woke up, my first thought was, if you're okay..' He frowned. 'I felt like shit. I knew I should've listened to you..' Diego began to shake his head, their noses constantly brushing.

His hot breath tickled Y/Ns lips, which she wanted to press against Diegos, so badly. She held her breath, waiting for what's to come. Her eyes fluttered shut, ready for the kiss she anticipated for so long. This is it. Her finish line, she can smell his musky smell, she can almost taste him. But it doesn't happen. Diego pulls away, his hands still gently cupping her face. Y/N opens one eye, confused by the sequence.

'Y/N, I...' Diego hesitates, licking his lips. He wants to tell something, but his eyes give away that he's just not ready for it.

'Guys, are we going, or what?' Klaus moans as he shuffles around the living room.

'I-I have to go.' Diego sighs. Y/N frowns, but nods. _Touché_. Diego gives Y/N one more longing look; he leans in, softly pressing his lips against her forehead. His lips are warm and soft against her skin. Y/N leans into his kiss, closing her eyes and humming in pleasure.

'Come back in one peace, will you?' Y/N smirks as her palms slither up and down Diegos arms, more for her own calming down. Diego smiles, before giving one quick peck on her bruised temple, before the three of them dart out the door.

Before leaving, Klaus waves to everyone, giving a dramatic bow 'Adieu!' as Diego pulls him by his sleeve, dragging him out of the house.

'I swear to God, if I'd tell anybody this story..' Raymond shakes his head. 'They'd put me in a straitjacket.' Y/N chuckles, then glances at Herb, who's eyeing the corpse.

'Hey... You're gonna need help with that?' Y/N raises her eyebrow, taking in his height. Surely, he'd struggle to lift a body up, when it's double his size.

'Oh, no..' Herb chuckles, shaking his hand. 'I'm going to get someone, Miss...' His voice drifts.

'Oh, Miss Gussman. Y/N Gussman.' She blushes, as she forgot to properly introduce herself.

'It is nice to meet you... And I'm sorry about your brother.' Herb frowns, tapping her arm in consolation.

'Huh?' Y/Ns eyebrows crease.

'Mr. Raymond here, mentioned that you're brother has passed. I'm sorry for your loss.' Herb gives Y/N a comforting smile. Y/N just met this man, but he seemed very friendly and very caring; cheerful and charismatic.

'Thank you, Herb. These, so called Swedes, got him..' Y/N frowned, glancing down at the carpet, which held one of the killers.

'The Swedes? Oh no, no, no. Miss Gussman. This doesn't sound right.' Herb seems startled, his eyes searching the room, as if looking for a feasible answer.

'What? Why?' Y/N tone is low, as she steps closer, eyebrows creased in confusion.

'Well, you see, Miss Gussman..' Herb starts.

'Y/N is fine.' Y/N interrupts him.

'Well, Miss...Y/N. Swedes are contract killers. Very rarely, the timeline is put into a lot of danger.' Herb pauses for a moment. 'We do, unfortunately, have to “take out” somebody.' He uses air quotes. 'We have our own Operations, who keeps us “safe”' He tells. 'But sometimes we need.. Um,let's call it aid.' He waves his hand.

'I'm an analyst myself.' Herb points at his chest. 'Therefore I foresee the infinite switchboard; it shows all the outcomes, every little detail, that could possibly change the time.' He shifts in his spot. 'We have all the files, all the information, that we would need to keep the timeline safe. And a name such as Gussman, never appeared..' Herbs voice trails, as he scratches his chin.

'So someone else at the commission sent them out..?' Y/N mutters to herself.

'But that would be against the protocol. If they're going after an innocent man... Unless..' Herbs eyes widen, as he realises who possibly could've contacted the Swedes in the first place.

'Unless, what?' Y/N grabs the man by his shoulders.

'I.. I could give it a look, see what exactly happened.' Herb confesses, hesitantly. Y/N grip tightens at the thought. Narrowing her eyes, she licks her lips and nods.

'Good, then I'm coming with you.'


	11. The Ultimate Showdown Pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We've come to the Season 2 finale. Y/N finds out the truth about Elliotts death. The Hargreeves siblings gather at Elliotts for one last time. Y/N and Diego share an intense moment, as emotions and feelings are all becoming too raw, no thanks to the surrounding circumstances. It is a part one of two part finale.

'I understand your grief, Ms Y/N. But I simply cannot take you with me.' Herb states sharply stepping back, yet his tone is cracked and raw.

Sadly, he did not seem to feel confident about his words, as he slowly began shrinking in his spot. The man seemed rather fragile, and definitely not one to portray aggression; a very obvious pacifist, who would try to avoid any sort of confrontation, at any cost. Including now.

Unfortunately to him, Y/N saw through his attempt at disguise. Perhaps it was what was left of cognac, that's still roaming her system, or the sudden urge to be drastic and spontaneous, no thanks to the impending doom, but Y/N was determined. She was determined, that having the chance, she has to take it and find out the true fate of her brother. Whether he was at the wrong place, at the wrong time or simply set up for the attack, Y/N needed to know.

'Diego got to look at the timeline.-' Y/N began, before Herb quickly interrupted her.

'Yes, he did. But only because he sneaked in there, without permission.' Herb explains, his tone becoming more serious. 'Miss Y/N, I might be in trouble for letting him be there, as it is. I simply cannot risk it.' He frowns, as Y/Ns shoulders slump in defeat.

'Miss Y/N.' Herb sighs, placing his hand on Y/Ns shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. 'There's a...' He pauses to search for the correct word. 'Complicated situation down at the Commission. Bad things are happening, led by bad people. If you appear, you can get into serious trouble.' He creases his eyebrows, leaning in to speak, as if being listened to.

'Please, Herb.' Y/N pleads, pressing her palms together. 'I've found my brother, mutilated in worst way possible. No explanation, no reason. The man was innocent, and only did what he loved and what? He died for that?' Her vision turns blurry, as tears begin to collect at the corner of her eyes.

'For years, I had him, and only him.' She gently pushes Herbs hand away, pulling her hands on his shoulders, instead. 'I've lost everything in less than 24 hours, Herb.' Y/N voice low and husky, as a tear runs down her cheek. 'At this point, I'm ready to risk it all.' She takes a shakily breath, as another tear falls down her face.

Herb frowns, looking down he searches for a handkerchief in his coat pocket. He finds it, and hands it to Y/N, as a consolation. She reluctantly accepts it, but her facial expression becomes more somber.

'Herb.' She huffs, sniffing. 'I'm assuming the briefcase takes you back, to the Commission.' Y/N points down, as Herbs grip tightens around it. 'I'm desperate. And I don't want to do this the hard way.' She steps forward and crosses her arms over her chest, as Herb watches in horror. Y/N tries to sell the tough demeanour as much as she can; however, being hostile towards a man, whose at least a foot smaller, is somewhat pathetic. Drastic times, call for drastic measures. Herb finally surrenders, placing the briefcase on the floor and raising his hands in the air.

'Fine, Miss Y/N.' He avoids her gaze. 'But only for a moment, we get in, we get out-'.

'Yeah, yeah. Double time.' Y/N rolls her eyes, as her hands drop to her sides.

'Good.' Herb steps to the side, giving Raymond an apologetic smile. Oh, God. _Poor_ Raymond.

Y/N turns on her heel to look at the man, whose been sitting on a chair, his head in his hands as he passively listened to the conversation. His eyes focused on the corpse on the floor, which he still finds difficult to process.

'I apologise for the delay, Mr Chestnut. A team will arrive shortly, to handle the...Um, situation.' Herb confirms, glancing at a burrito made out of a dead Swede, and Rays favourite carpet. Raymond only nods, slowly getting up.

'I'm not goinna lie. This is the most bizarre day, I've ever had.' His brows creased, as his fingers moved towards his temples, pressing into them gently. 'If you don't mind, I want the dead guy, and you two, out of my house.' He tries to sound polite, but the exhaustion is really taking its toll.

'It's fine, Raymond. I'm sorry, if-if that helps.' Y/N tries to console him, but his face tell her it's not working.

'It doesn't.' Ray answers pointedly. 'The alcohol is wearing off, the love of my life is leaving me for good. And I haven't had time to deal with...Whatever this is.' He frowns as he walks past Y/N and Herb. 'I'm gonna try to go and sleep, and when I wake up-.' Raymond pauses, eyeing the surroundings. 'I want to go downstairs, into my living room, and pretend like none of this happened.' He pursed his lips, gently knocking his fist against the door frame, before slumping upstairs, to his bedroom.

'That's rough.' Y/N mumbles.

'You know, Miss Y/N.' Herb interrupted, his tone much softer. 'You may think you've lost everything.' He shifts in his spot. 'But from what I saw, there's a certain someone, who's willing to change your mind.' Y/N blushes, looking down, as her fingers begin to fidget. Herb suddenly frowns

'I must warn you, though. There's someone at the Commission, who won't be happy with this.' He cautions.

'Oh, yeah?' Y/N smirks, realising who Herb is referring to. 'How do you think I got this black eye in the first place?'

\------------------------------------------------------------

Sudden transmission and Y/N and Herb stood in the halls of the so called Temps Commission. Like a quick gut punch, causing a temporary black out, followed by a loss of air and an increasing nausea. Perhaps not the best form of transportation. Panting to suppress the urge to vomit, Y/N gives the place an observant look.

It looks like any government based building would look; concrete all over, with very little or no décor. People in blue uniforms rushing and pushing around, focused and determined to reach their destination. Standing in the middle of the hall, yet feeling completely invisible. Perfect. A womans voice over PA muffles through the chattering of moving workers; 'The timeline is your lifeline.'

'Dear Y/N, we've got to move fast.' Herb leans in, whisper-yelling.

'Right, sorry.' Y/N frowns, as she drags her feet after Herb. 'A better tomorrow comes from an orderly today.' The same PA continues. The tone is rather sober, and humourless; a motivational announcement, that comes off more as a threat. Y/N shudders at the voice; every step she takes deeper into the Commission, the PA seems to become louder, as if trying to get to her.

'Where is this place, exactly?' Y/N mutters under her breath, looking up to a staircase that takes at least three floors higher.

'When would be a more appropriate question.' Herb chuckles, before collecting himself. His gaze catches a double bucket on wheels and a mop, neatly placed inside. Herb turns to Y/N, eyeing her outfit and quickly pushes the mop, with the bucket into her grasp.

'I think this shouldn't draw any attention to you.' He fixes his glasses, eyebrows creased in thought.

'What? Why?' Y/N crunches her face in confusion, as Herb knowingly points at her outfit. _Shit._ Y/N looked down, realising she was still in her uniform. Ugh, so gross.

'Oh...' She answers her own question, blushing slightly. She can almost smell her own odour, which makes her blush even harder.

'I'll take you to the Infinite Switchboard, we get a glance of what happens, and I'm sending you back home. Is that clear, Miss Y/N?' Herb repeats his plan, his hand testing on the door handle.

'Herb!' A sharp voice yells from a distance, as clacking of high heels echoes throughout the hall.

'Crystal.' Y/N nods earnestly, and starts mopping around them two.

'Oh, Dear, she's here...What are you doing?' Herb hisses.

'I'm the janitor, remember?' Y/N answers nonchalantly, her eyes focused on the tiling. For once in her life, she was glad that the so called mopping skills she acquired at the diner, can finally pay off. Y/N begins to hum, as she focuses on the zig-zags that she leaves, across the marble tiles.

'Herb, you little turd.' The woman snarls, as she approaches him. A smell of tobacco, with a hint of strong perfume tickles Y/Ns nose. She sniffles, and begins to mop to the side, stepping away from her and Herb, to get a better look.

Y/N glances at the tall woman; taller than both her and Herb, a stern look on her face, as two huge blue eyes dart at Herb. She's wearing a black suit, with what seems to look like reptile scales, her brightly red lips pressed together, as she continues to stare down the man in front. He shrinks in his spot, as his lip quivers, trying to mutter any words.

'Ye..Yes?' Sweat starts to form on his forehead, as he anticipates the womans next words. She moves her head, making Y/N swiftly look away.

'Listen here, you weasel.' She takes a long drag of her cigarette and taps the ash away. Y/N quickly cleans it, which the woman notices. Raising her eyebrow, she looks Y/N up and down, before returning her stare to Herb.

'There's a rumour going around these halls, Herb.' She saunters closer to him, towering over like a bear that's ready to slice him open. 'That you're planning a resistance. Is that correct?' Her eyebrows crease as she dramatically pouts, belittling the idea.

'N-no, ma'am. You know, I'm just an analyst...' The last four words come out as a whisper. The tall woman lets out a loud laugh, which echoes through the hall; sounding more menacing with each echo.

'Exactly.' She smiles brightly. 'If the rumour turns out to be true.' She grits through closed teeth, still smiling. 'I will skin you, and turn you into a welcome rug, understand?' She cheerfully emphasises the last words. Letting out another threatening laugh, she takes one last drag of her cigarette, before dropping it on the floor. Still lit, Y/N drops her mop on the bud, putting it out; she pulls it towards herself and picks it up, throwing it out into the bucket.

'You know, if you carry on working like this, you might just get a promotion.' The woman raises her eyebrow, smugly smirking. Y/N gives a small smile and nods; a glimmer of a dreadfully recognisable figure flashes past the hall; Y/N lowers her head, not to be recognised.

Surprisingly, the woman in front takes it as a bow, which she pleasantly accepts. 'Oh...' The woman chuckles, amused. 'Finally, some recognition. You know, I work so hard for this place, and no one seems to understand...' She frowns slightly, but fixes herself immediately.

'Mum!?' A familiar female voice calls, urgently in a distance. Y/N almost flinches at it, bowing once more, and turning the opposite direction, to mop. The woman rolls her eyes, sighing. She turns to Herb, giving him a threatening smirk, before her heels clack away, and her and Lila disappear.

Realising Y/N and Herb held their breaths for a little too long, they both exhale. Herb clumsily opens the door and falls inside; resting against a wall, he quickly takes his coat and hat off, huffing and puffing to cool himself down.

'Here.' Y/N hands him his handkerchief back, as she enters the small room.

'Thank you..' He breathes as he quickly dabs at all the sweat forming on his forehead. 'That was the Handler. She's in charge now, a scary lady. Truly a pain in the backside.' Herb mutters quietly, so no one could hear.

The Infinite Switchboard looks like a regular communication switchboard; wires and flips and switches laid out across, with a small screen straight in the middle. Herb gathers himself up, as he approaches the switchboard.

'I heard Lila refer to her as “mum”..' Y/Ns eyebrows creased, as she tried to put all the information together. Herb stayed silent, as he began working on the switchboard; he gave a quick, confirming nod, before he turned back to the task. Well, for once Y/N knows where Lila learnt that menacing smirk of hers. Apple doesn't fall far from the tree, after all.

Returning Y/N into the moment, the small screen began changing colour as it started showing unclear and blurry images. First image was of the Handler, sticking what seems to be Diegos knife into a tree, same knife that's now securely placed in Y/Ns pocket. She brushes against it, just to see if it's still there. It immediately flashes, to three blonde men; one of them observes the knife, and steps in what seems to be a trap. A loud bang occurs, making Y/N jump in her spot. The man does not survive. Following image flashes of a slender woman, at the top of the rooftop; it was definitely Lila. She dropped something inside the chimney and disappeared.

A final image flashes of the remaining men, surrounding her brother. Y/N feels her blood leave her face, as a wave of cold sweat hits, and her heart begins to beat faster. She takes a careful step back, as her brothers scared face reflects off of her eyes. One of the blonde men shows Elliott the knife, to which Elliott begins to vigorously shake his head. The men don't seem to budge as they point again, repeating the question. Elliott refuses, as he's being pushed into his fathers dentist chair. Tears begin to well up in her eyes, as the two men cover the view, only Elliotts limbs frantically moving to the side.

'Umm, that's enough.' Herb rushes to unplug the leads, flipping a couple of switches off. He turns around to look at Y/N who seems to begin to pant again, dreading an incoming panic attack.

'See? Miss Y/N. Not only we almost got caught. But some things should be left, the way they are...' Herb frowns, stepping back to give Y/N some space. 'I can try and get you some water.' He shrugs as he fondles the door handle, and swiftly jumps into the corridor.

Y/N stops heaving, giving the door one more glance. Exhaling, she quickly wipes her tears with her thumbs and begins to fiddle with the leads. Trying to copy Herbs moves, she turns on a couple of switches and plugs in a wire; she pushes it a couple of switches away, assuming it would show further into the future. Curiosity got the best of her, as she tried to search a month into the future. A slight flicker and buzzing occurs, as the switchboard comes to life again.

Hundreds of blue suited men and women stand on a snowy landscape; equipped with what seems to be Tommy-guns. Y/N glances back at the door, pausing to listen if no one is coming. Returning back, she watches the small screen in front. Two figures begin to run from the armed crowd. Leaning in she lets out a small gasp; it's Five and Diego.

'Holy-' She began to swear, as the door handle started to wobble, indicating that someone was entering. Y/N quickly wrapped her index finger around the wire, pulling it off, as the door opened.

Herb waddles in, tightly grasping what seems to be Rays rug. It was neatly curled up.

'It's not a glass of water, but...' He huffs as he clumsily passes the rug to Y/N. Wiping the sweat off with his handkerchief again, he straightens his blazer. 'Okay, you've got what you wanted, now we have to take you home.' Herb turns around looking for his briefcase. 'Ah!' He exclaims, as he takes it into his hands; he links his arm around Y/Ns and they flash out of the room, back to Dallas.

\--------------------------------------------------------

'Oof' Y/N groans as they return home. The trip back didn't seem as bad as before; vision turned a little hazy, but the nausea wasn't as strong as the first time. Tilting her head, she realises they're at the back alley, right next to Elliotts place. A feeling of dread begins to grow within Y/N, as she's reluctant to go inside. Since the sunset already began, lights flickered inside the house, suggesting that, at least some of the Hargreeves, are at home.

'Now, Y/N.' Herb shifts her attention back to him. 'I'd appreciate, if you would keep quiet. Letting two unauthorised people inside, can get my head pulled off and used as a golf ball.' He gulps. 'You've heard the Handler. And she doesn't mess around.' Herb frowns releasing Y/N and stepping back.

'You have my word.' Y/N gives him a comforting smile, pressing her hand on his shoulder. 'Thanks... I owe you one' She nods in appreciation. Walking backwards, she gives Herb a small wave, before turning on her heel and walking away. A flash of blue appears behind her, and Herb returns back to the Commission.

As Y/N enters the apartment, she hears loud bickering. Walking into the living room, she lets out a small smile; all the siblings are in place, bickering and arguing with each other. It's not aggressive or belligerent in any way; a typical sibling rivalry. Best of all; they all seem to be fine and healthy.

'Is that our rug?' Allison stops, raising her eyebrows at Y/N.

'Uhh.. Yeah. I've got it, uh... Cleaned.' Y/N presses her lips together, as she rests it against the door frame. Allison looks down, suppressing a frown.

'Well.. I've left a goodbye note to Raymond.' Allisons arms flung over herself, as she looked at her feet. 'I don't think Ray will miss it that much..The rug, I mean.' She smiles weakly, the smile never reaching her eyes. Allison turns around, as her eyes become glossy.

Y/N cannot help, but frown herself; leaving a loved one in the past is as painful as it can be. Knowing the time difference of their own timeline, it's most likely that she'll never get to see him again. Looking back at the rug, Y/N sighed, eventually striding to Elliotts bedroom. Glancing at the bed, she scrunches her face in disgust, and begins to dig for clothes in her brothers drawers.

'So what, can't say hello?' A gruff voice spoke, from behind. The tone was teasing; she can feel him smirk, even without looking.

'Hi, Diego.' Y/N mumbled, whilst throwing different types of clothing around.

'Can we talk?' Diegos tone softens.

The bed creaked behind her; Y/N sighed, as she knelt, turning around. Twenty-four hours. A whole day with no sleep; a whole day where she had to bury her brother, suffer a concussion and find out that the possible reason her brother was killed sat on the bed, in front of her. A surge of anger started rushing within Y/N; she was completely drained out. And although Diego would be the last person, she would project her anger on, her brain was too tired to control what was coming from her mouth.

'Talk about what, exactly?' She spoke pointedly, crossing her arms onto her chest. Diego frowned at her tone and shifted in his seat, making the bed creak again.

'Can you come and sit next to me, first?' His voice became low, yet affectionate. Y/N looked at the bed, lifting her upper lip in disgust.

'I'm pretty comfortable here.' She shoots back. No way in hell is she getting on that bed, her anger continues to rise as Lilas words echo in her mind. Diego gulps, averting his gaze elsewhere; he's never seen Y/N like that. He wishes he could tell her how he really feels. He wishes he could get over Lila and just move on, without looking back. Diego sees through Y/N; she's frustrated, and tired of all of this. She wants to be loved, and she deserves to be loved. But he needs more time. And if all goes well, he'll give her all the love. He'll give her the sun and the moon, anything that she'll want. He'll give her a future she deserves, in the time where she'll be appreciated, not just by him, but by others, too. It pained him to see her like this, but it pained him more, knowing that right now he was completely helpless.

'Again, I'm so sorry..' Diego began, rubbing his sweaty palms against his trousers. 'After I woke up, I was already at the Commission. Lila tried-' Y/N began to shake her head vigorously, scrunching her nose at his words, and raising one of her palms for him to stop.

'What are we doing, Diego??' She interrupted, huffing in desperation. She raises her hands, just for them to loosely drop to her sides. 'What is this??' She moves her index finger between her and him, as he looks down at his own hands. 'One minute, we're this-' She holds her thumb and index finger close to each other. 'Close to _something_ happening! Then the next minute, you disappear with _her_.' Her voice starts to grow louder.

'Y/N. It's not that simple.' Diego furrowed his eyebrows, as he began to raise his voice himself. He was naturally a defensive person, so both of them knew, that if they continue, it's going to turn into a full on argument. 'I trusted her and really cared for her, you can't just drop that and forget!' Diego groans running his hand against his hair. 'Of all people, you should understand!' He frantically waves his hand towards her, to which she replies with an eye roll.

Damn, he was right. Of course, she understands, she's not a monster. But it does hurt; it's a shitty feeling, when you look into the eyes of a loved one, and see that they might be thinking about someone else. Y/N realises it all too well. Despite, all that happened, they've only know each other for a short time. Things don't happen overnight. So why does Y/N has such a hard time to understand?

'I'm really tired, Diego.' Y/N admits, resting her head against a chest of drawers.

'Then come to bed. I'll stay with you...' Diego offers.

'No, Diego.' Y/N groans into her palms. 'I...I'm just not comfortable sleeping here.' She mutters to herself, rubbing her eyes. Y/N hisses as she pressed fingers into her black eye.

'Diego, I'm tired of everything. I'm frustrated and angry.' She continues. 'I've lost my brother, I haven't attended work, which means I'm probably getting fired. And then there's you..' Her voice drifts. A lump forms into her throat, threatening to come out, as her eyes become glossy. She closes her eyes and inhales sharply.

'I care for you, so much. I really do.' Y/N opens her eyes, glancing over at Diego. His gaze is averted, as his fingers are already playing with the blade of his knife. She can tell that he was nervous, probably annoyed. He didn't seem like the guy, who would enjoy a confrontation, such as this. But, then again, who would?

'And I'm trying get it.' Her breath is shaky. 'But I don't want to be second best, Diego.' Y/N pulls her legs together, as she sits on a pile of clothes. Diego stays silent for a minute, his knife swiftly turning over in his hand, his gaze still fixated onto it.

Suddenly he gets up, making Y/N flinch. Hesitating for a moment, he kneels in front of her.

'There's still some feelings there. They don't just go away in a matter of days.' His voice is quiet, his eyes embedded into Y/Ns, as if trying to hold her attention for, as long as possible. She clenches her jaw, which Diego expected.

'But that doesn't change that I-I..' He begins to stutter; Y/Ns expression softens immediately. 'I have strong feelings for you. J-just give me some time.' Diego puts his knife back into his back pocket, then reaches for Y/Ns face. She tilts her head away, but he leans in to reach it, anyway. His fingers lightly caress the bruise, which send shivers don't her spine. His fingers trace around, before pulling a strand of hair and pushing it behind her ear. His gaze is longing and loving, as he takes every inch of Y/Ns face, imprinting it in his mind forever.

Despite this, she does not feel loved, nor understood. She just felt tired and irritated. Pushing his hand away she sighs.

'I also need time.' She pauses. 'Time to process this.' Y/N waves her hand. 'So, if you don't mind.' She gets up, grabbing a pair of nearest black clothing. 'I'm going to take a hot shower, and I'd like to be left alone...' Y/N paused. 'At least for a while.'

Diego, still kneeling, nods, his head dropping down as he exhales. Y/N ignores it, walking past and walking out of the room. Avoiding everyone's confused gazes, she rushes to the shower and locks the door behind her. Resting against the door, she wipes tears that had recently fell down her cheeks. Trying to collect herself, she clumsily undresses and gets into the shower.

The warm water only emphasises her need to sleep and relax; like a warm, enveloping hug, it feels comforting and nice. A moment longer and she will sleep in the shower, the warm water working perfectly as a comfy blanket. Finishing the shower off, she quickly dries off, and puts on the clothes. It was a pair of black pants, accompanied by a black sweater. Y/N glanced at herself in the mirror, shrugging; better than sweat-filled janitor uniform. She tries to unlock the door sneakily, so she could rush back into the bedroom, but finds Klaus right behind it. He's making hasty steps, his hands resting below the belt.

'Sorry, Y/N. I really need to go.' He hisses. 'Allison won't allow me to pee in the kitchen sink.' Klaus pushes past Y/N slamming the door, right behind her. Suppressing a chuckle, she rushes past the rest of the siblings, shutting the door behind. Y/N tuts at her self, realising that she left a big mountain of clothing on the floor.

She kneels in front of it, as she attempts to fold them. She yawns, and then she yawns once more. The comforting warmth of the shower still lingers on her skin, suddenly making her very sleepy. Glancing at the bed, she shakes her head, as if disagreeing with herself and flops onto the pile of clothing, admitting defeat. It only takes a matter of seconds, before she drifts into a well deserved sleep.

An hour or so pass, as the bedroom door slowly opens; two figures enter the room. One of them hovers over Y/N, who is now quietly snoring into, what seems to be a pair of trousers. The other figure is walking towards the bed. 'Y/N has the right idea..' The woman quietly huffs, pulling the bed sheet off. 'We all need to sleep, for at least a couple of hours..' She adds.

'Yeah. I guess, you're right.' The man whispers back, as his hands carefully pick Y/N up and into his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the thing. I have written double what I wanted to publish, however it's nowhere near finished. I have no self control, and my attention span is that of a goldfish. Therefore, I decided to publish at least half of the chapter, to feel some sort of completion. 
> 
> I have been struggling with writing this story, I'm not going to lie. I want to finish off this section properly, but the more I read into it, the more it starts to make no sense. With all the editing, I do hope it's still enjoyable and tolerable. If you do have any insight, advice, anything really, write in the comments below. I need all the motivation and advice I can get.
> 
> Nonetheless, I do hope you enjoy it, and hopefully the second part should come in a matter of days!
> 
> P.S. I hope ya'll get that it was Diego and Allison entering the bedroom lol
> 
> (Also, big thanks to nikkitten for support and great advice! ^^)


	12. The Ultimate Showdown Pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final episode before the original storyline. The Hargreeves go to Sissys farm. Y/N is forced to follow as the police begin their search. More emotional turmoil ensues, but Y/N is given a second chance. Perhaps this can be a beginning of something totally new..

Y/N scrunches her nose, as a light wave of hot air keeps tickling her neck. Nonetheless, she feels well rested, energised. Opening her eyes, Y/N notices that it's still dark out, squinting she looks at the clock; Y/N cannot see properly, assuming it could be somewhere between five and seven in the morning. She closes her eyes, pleasantly humming to herself, as she stretches her whole body.

Her eyes shoot back open, as the tickling persists and she feels something heavy across her stomach. Y/Ns hands quickly drop down, feeling an arm, securely settled across her stomach, fingers gently brushing against her bare skin, every time she breathes. Her hand sliders up the arm, as she slowly turns around to see the person next to her.

Her body relaxes into his grip, as Diego quietly snuffles, his mouth opened a little, and his right cheek is firmly pressed against the pillow, scrunching his face ever so slightly. A few strands of hair messily fallen onto his face, which Y/N carefully fixes. Her hand lingers on his face, brushing against his cheek and finishing at his lips. Y/N bites her own lip, suppressing the need to kiss him.

She grimaces, remembering their last conversation. Looking down, she flinches; they're in Elliotts bed. She would've fallen out of it, if not a firm arm holding her close to the mattress. Her eyes start to search around, when she sighs in relief. He must have changed the sheets. Y/N rolls her eyes at her own child-like behaviour, but jealousy does that to a person. She carefully pushes his arm away, pressing it close to him. Hastily getting up, she walks up to the pile of clothes; Y/N rummages for some items, and silently walks out of the bedroom.

Closing the door behind, she sees that the rest of the Hargreeves are also sleeping; Klaus lies on one of the sofas, his hands carelessly draped over his head, Vanya curled up besides him. Allison lies on the sofa across; her head in Luthers lap, who is sleeping sitting down, his mouth slightly opened, as his head is pulled back. Most surprising was to see Five finally get rest, at least in Y/N eyes. Sitting in an arm chair, he rests his head against his hand and quietly sniffles, as television light lightly reflects off of his face. Like a renaissance painting, it looked pretty serene.

Smiling, she quickly sneaks into the kitchen, quietly shutting the door behind her and turning the light on. Much to her amazement, the kitchen was squeaky clean. The smashed plates were gone, unwashed dishes now were clean and in their designated places, and the newspaper Elliott marked, was neatly placed at the end of the table. Glancing at the clock on the wall, she sighs; it was six in the morning. As if on instinct, she grabbed a pot, and started making coffee.

_______________________________________

It was around eight o'clock now. The sun finally began to peak through the curtains, signalling that it was time for a new day. To Y/N, the day has started a couple of hours ago. A sweet aroma of fresh coffee filled the kitchen, as different shades off yellow splashed across the room, making the morning seem all the more hopeful. Radio faintly played Fever by Peggy Lee, to which Y/N lip-synced enthusiastically. Her sewing machine was rattling actively, with each push on the pedal, in sync with the distinctive tone of bass.

♬Never know how much I love you  
Never know how much I care  
When you put your arms around me  
I get a fever that's so hard to bear  
You give me fever, ♬

Recapping last nights events, Y/Ns brows furrow. After a decent sleep, her thoughts were much clearer, but it didn't make things a hundred per cent better. Did they share that they have feelings for each other? Yes. Did that make Y/N feel any better? No. Diego was right; she understands, she knows that such things takes time. But Y/N is a human, too.

With her own flaws; she wants to be selfish. She wants to have Diego all for herself. Just like this morning, she smiles as she remembers, his warm breath tickling her neck. The weight, the feel of him on her was exhilarating. If not the task at hand, she would've stayed there, letting her hands roam his body. Remembering his toned arm, her fingers crawling up it, skin hot at her touch.

♬Sun lights up the day time  
Moon lights up the night  
I light up when you call my name  
And you know I'm gonna treat you right  
You give me fever, ♬

Y/N bites her lip at the thought. Out of nowhere, a light flash appears in the kitchen, as Five grins at Y/N, whilst fixing his bed head.

'Morning.' Five greets, looking intrigued at Y/Ns activity.

'Good morning, Five. You know, the door works just fine.' Y/N grins back, her cheeks slightly red, due to her previous thoughts. 'It's nice to see that you've finally had some rest.' She adds, smirking teasingly.

Five looks away, suppressing a smirk himself; walking towards the coffee machine, he pours some for himself, offering Y/N some, too. She nods, pulling away from the sewing machine and passing her mug to Five.

'So...' Fives voice trails off, as he passes the coffee mug back. 'New project?' He slurps his beverage, his free hand disappearing into his pocket.

'Yeah...' Y/N blushes again, looking at her idea, manifesting in front of her. 'Last night, whilst looking for clean clothes, I've had this.. Thought.' Y/N began stepping on the pedal, as the sewing machine came back to life again. 'Not completely sure how it'll go, but its worth a shot.' She leant in closer, checking for any knots or loose threads. Y/N sighs leaning back, as she removes the item out of the sewing machine. Five steps closer, his creased brow giving away his curiosity.

'What do you think?' Y/N stands up, her project in hand. She presses it against her, so Five could observe it more attentively. He twists his mouth, clearly fascinated. Fives fingers brushed against the stitching, as he continuously nods.

'Impressive.' He muttered. 'What gave you the idea?' Five downed the rest of his coffee, placing the cup in the sink. Hesitating to tell the truth, Y/N gave a crooked smile.

'Let's just say, that at this point, I'm too afraid to ask him, where he fits all of them.'

__________________________________________

'No shit..' Diego huffs, sitting on the edge of an arm chair. Luther takes the remote control, increasing the volume, as the rest of his siblings and Y/N begin to listen intently.

'Authorities are asking for help identifying, several persons of interest at Dealey Plaza...' The reporter continues, as recognisable faces begin to flash on the screen.

'Cuban?' Diego grunts at his description, crossing his arms in front of his chest. He swiftly glances at Y/N, whose sitting on the other side of the room, her eyebrows increasingly rising, as the reporter continues.

It momentarily distracts him; remembering the conversation they had last night, it upset him that, once he woke up, she was gone. Perhaps he shouldn't have been so blunt about his feelings for Lila. Perhaps he should've been blunt about his actual feelings towards Y/N; how quickly he's fallen in love with her. How, despite being ordinary, she had one of the greatest powers; the power of love. How she was full of it, ready to give it to those in need, and how Diego was someone, who needed it the most. How he yearns her touch, and her smooth talk; how the darkness he has placed himself into, gradually started to come to light, purely at her presence.

Diego recalls Y/N sleeping in his arms; her lips parted, expression relaxed and at ease, as her chest moved up and down against his feel. Diego never took his eyes off of her, ultimately surrendering to sleep himself. Thus, waking up, empty handed, did cause him some pain. Was she still mad at him?

'The FBI is asking the public to be on the lookout for this unidentified boy, who they believe is being held hostage by the suspected terrorist network...' The reporter finishes, the news anchor following up with another story. Luther gulps, yanking the TV remote, pressing into it firmly to turn off; as someone his size and power would expect, the remote control cracks inside his grip, pieces of loose plastic dropping around his feet.

'Uh, sorry..' He mumbles sheepishly.

'I do feel like a hostage sometimes..' Five nods thoughtfully.

'Evading taxes?' Klaus sighs dramatically. 'But that's what cult leaders _do_!' He pleads his case to an empty spot by his side. Klaus pauses, as if he remembers something, and presses back into the sofa, a somber frown gradually appearing on his face.

The siblings begin to discuss the news, as their discussion turns into an argument, each sibling trying to speak louder, over one another. Diego whistles to bring attention to himself; his siblings pause, giving him an annoyed look.

'We let Kennedy die.' He states, gaining an eye roll from Five. 'Now we have the FBI, the Secret Service all that shit on our tail.' Diego continues. 'We're Americas most wanted, public enemy number one, you name it.' He rubs his face in frustration, glancing at Y/N once more.

This time their eyes meet; Y/N frowns, shifting in her seat, as she begins to fidget with her fingers. They both know well enough, that she wants to walk over and console Diego. She knew how important it was for him to protect JFK, and how he feels now, knowing that he has failed. Y/N wants to walk up and give him reassurance; hug him, rub his back, rest her forehead against his and repeat supportive phrases. But she hesitates, and the moment passes.

'I have this yurt in Rejkavik, perhaps we could lay low there.' Klaus suggests, shaking his shoulders.

'Oh, I've never left the country. I'd love to go abroad.' Y/N smiled at Klaus, attempting to distract herself from Diegos desperate stare.

'Hiding isn't going to make a difference.' Five intercepts, stepping away from his spot;he begins pacing around in front of the TV. 'The Feds got nothing on what the Commission can do to us.' He grits his teeth, huffing a strand of hair out of his vision. 'Wherever we go, they'll find us. It's futile.' Diego nods in agreement, stepping closer to him.

'Five is right. They'll never stop.' His words come off as a surprise to Five, who crunches his face, his glare pressed into his brother.

'I'm sorry, since when are you an expert on the Commission?' Fives tone is derogative, as he stops in his steps.

'Since I got back from there.'

'What?' Five could not believe what he was hearing. His face scrunched in such disbelief, his eyes trying to search for a plausible explanation.

'Yeah!' Diego licked his lips, cockily smiling. He was savouring the moment, seeing Five so dumbfounded. 'They head-hunted me, offered me a job.'

'As what? A cleaner? Careful though, Diego, a lot of halls and corridors in that place. You might get lost.' Five smiles smugly, finally collecting himself, although a hint of surprise still gleamed in his eyes.

'What? Only the almighty Five needs to be in demand?' Diego becomes defensive, his cocky guy act starts to fall, as his brother glances at him in a diminishing stare.

'You're stubborn as a mule.' Five says matter-of-factly, as he bends his fingers to count. 'You're obsessive, as hell. You just can't let things go.' he continues. 'And lastly, your brain is so small, you let your genitals do all the thinking!' Klaus snickers at Fives words, but quickly stops, as Diego shoots daggers at him. Raising his hands, he innocently smiles.

'What? That's funny... And probably true...' He muffles the last three words to himself.

'Why do you think the Handler sent Lila after _you_?' Five raised his hands. Diego frowned at the mention of Lila, as Five wasn't entirely right about her. There was good in her, he can feel it. And although he's trying to gradually move on, he cannot help but care for her. She needs his help, to get out of the Handlers grasp. Lila has been through the same crap, he has been; only difference is, he has his siblings to rely on. And without the Handler, she has no one. Diego glances at Y/N again, who looks away, frowning. _Damn._ Diego shakes those thoughts away.

'Who do you think figured out that Vanya is going to cause the apocalypse, huh?' Diego raises his eyebrow, as Vanya glares at him. 'I did! I've been to the Infinite Switchboard and found this shit out!' He began exclaiming, as he rushed back to Five, hovering over him. Five narrowed his eyes, as the revelation doesn't sound so fake any more.

'You've been to the Infinite Switchboard?' Five could not believe his own words.

'Hell yeah!' Diego continued, giving each and every one a confident smirk. 'I made that machine my bitch!' Y/N snickers, rolling her eyes at Diegos retort. 'Something funny?' Diego huffs, looking offended. She immediately composes herself, remembering her promise to Herb. Looking up for a second, to think of an answer, she chuckles once more.

'Yes, actually. You two need to stop.' Y/N points at Five and Diego. 'In a matter of time, the Feds, along with the Dallas Police, will begin their search for you, right?' She stands up, facing the Hargreeves. Her stance is poised, hands behind her back, as the gears begin turning in her mind, trying to think of a plan.

'It's probably risky to leave the city, since it's likely being barricaded as we speak.' She begins pacing, as words continue to roll out of her mouth, her tone more serious, with each statement. 'It's not safe here, either. Since there's going to be plenty of cops out there, searching the crevices of this city.' Y/N scratches her chin, eyebrows creased in thought. 'You still don't have a way to get back into your time. Which doesn't matter any more, since the so-called Commission wants you all dead, too.' She halts in her steps, glancing at Five. 'You've averted the apocalypse, but somehow still managed to screw yourselves over.' Y/N concludes, folding her arms in front of her. 'Unless one of you has a plan, the only thing we can do now is turn this place into a hide out, saving you guys some time.' Y/N shrugs, dropping down onto the couch.

'Oh, God.. I must call Sissy.' Vanya stares in horror. She quickly stands up and pushes through her siblings, rushing to the telephone.

'You know, Y/N.' Luthers voice trailed off, as he shifted in his seat, Y/N turns to him, raising an eyebrow. 'They're only looking for the six of us, which means you're free to do anything.'

'Monkey brain is right.' Five adds thoughtfully.

'Was the name calling necessary?' Allison defends Luther.

'You've helped us enough.' Five frowns. 'We're the reason Elliott is gone. We're the reason you're in this position. We've put you and your brother in danger.' Five sticks his hands in his pockets.

'If you want, I can tell you everything about the future.' Allison shrugs suggestively. 'Perhaps you could make something out of yourself, have a great career, become someone.' She smiles. Y/N leans in, her elbows resting on her knees, contemplating their offer.

'Whoah, whoah, whoah.' Diego interrupts. 'You can't just send her off to somewhere, in hopes that everything will “work out”. She's part of this family now.' Y/N glances at Diego, her shoulders dropping, as she exhales.

'Family, huh?' Klaus scoffs. 'The only “F” word we actually are, is “fucked up”.' He begins to search his pockets for something; finally fishing out a flask, he shakes it by his ear, giggling in pleasure, as liquid splashes inside.

'Cheers!' He exclaims sarcastically, before downing the whole drink down.

'Diego, you have to realise, that as long as she's with us, she's in danger.' Allison tries to plead to Diego, who is having none of it. The rest of the siblings begin to try and convince Diego, as his arms flex besides him, clenching into fists. He didn't want to it, not now. Especially now. He simply cannot afford to lose Y/N. The volume of their voices increase again, as they go back to the same bickering. Y/N stares at them, her eyebrows creased.

Luther, Five and Allison are right. The Commission will be on their tails constantly, no matter what timeline they'll be. Being here isn't great for them either. They're surrounded by danger, and if Y/N stays much longer, she'll end up jailed, or dead. No matter how much it hurts, she has to admit that she is, in fact, a liability. Lila was right, that snarky bitch.

'Guys, plea-' Y/N pleads from her seat, trying to diffuse the situation, but is suddenly interrupted by Vanya.

'I'm leaving.'

_______________________________________

'What? You can't leave!' Luther points to her.

'We have to stay together, especially now.' Allison adds.

'I know, that's why I need you with me. I need to go to Sissy's farm, Harlan might be in trouble.' Vanya sighs in desperation.

'I'm sorry, Vanya, but we have to deal with this first.' Five frowns. Vanya drops her head, her gentle fingers running through the brown locks. Y/N eyes go wide, at the realisation, as she quickly jumps up from the couch.

'Diego.' Y/N calls sternly. 'A word?' She begins to stride towards the kitchen. Hesitantly, Diego stalks after her; he crosses his arms in front of him, his brow furrowed.

'If it's a goodbye, I don't wanna hear it.' His voice is low and husky.

'Diego, please...' Y/N stops him, gently placing her hand on his shoulder, which he swats away. 'We're not having this conversation. Especially not now.' Y/N catches his hand in hers again, squeezing it tightly. Diego tries to move it away, but her desperate gaze embeds into him. He sighs, as his fingers lace with Y/Ns. She gives a small, reassuring smile, before she continues.

'You need to go with Vanya.'

'Why?' Diego raises his eyebrows.

'She needs you. I think she might be in danger, you can't let her go on her own.'

'What are you talking about?' Diegos tone becomes hush.

'I have a hunch, okay?' Y/N bites her lip, trying not to give away how she knows about it in the first place.

'A hunch?' Diego says sceptically.

'I-I can't explain, alright?' She takes Diegos other hand, lacing her fingers with his. 'You may not saved the president. But you can be there for your sister.' Y/N pulls him closer, their faces merely inches away.

'You know, we've got shit to deal with right now.' Diego groans, pulling Y/N into a comforting embrace.

'Yes, and you've got a family to protect. So come on, hero, what are you waiting for?' Y/N smiles into Diegos chest. He pulls away, holding Y/N by her shoulders.

'Are you seriously thinking of staying?' His tone is quiet, suspiciously eyeing Y/N.

'Again...' Y/N huffs, rolling her eyes, and pulling his hands back into hers. 'We're not having this conversation right now.' She turns around looking for her previous project, as she exclaims victorious.

'I've made you something.' A blush creeps up her cheeks as she reaches for it. Diegos eyes follow her hands as he releases a soft gasp. Y/N slowly presents the item to Diego, which he eagerly accepts.

'What's this?' He smiles, knowing exactly what it is.

'A peace offering.' Y/N smirks. Diego looks at it with such carefulness, such attention. Like a child at Christmas, glee glimmered in his eyes, an excited smirk appeared on his face.

'I've measured the knife I have, it should fit anything you have.' Y/N begins to point at the harness, which Diego eyes curiously. 'It has about 20 slots. I-It's made out of old belts, that I've found in Elliotts room, it's not perfect..' She shrugs. 'But should be practical eno-'.

Y/N is interrupted by Diegos lips quickly, yet delicately resting against hers. He loosely drops the harness over his shoulder, as he cups Y/N face into his hands, his lips continuing to brush softly against hers. The kiss is comforting, emotional and something, they both craved in some time. With a sense of urgency, Diegos plump lips press harder into Y/N, as she begins to kiss back. Her hands move from her sides, to his, slithering up his arms, as it did this morning, gripping tighter at his biceps. She hums in pleasure into his lips, as she deepens the kiss herself. Pleased with her response, Diego suddenly grabs Y/Ns hips, pressing them hard into his, hinting at the satisfaction, he's experiencing himself. Teasingly licking her lips, Diego asks for an invitation, which Y/N gladly accepts. Their tongues begin to dance together, as their hands search around each others bodies. Dropping the harness on the table, Diego presses Y/N against a wall, as she lets out a soft groan into his mouth. Smiling against her lips he leans in, brushing her thigh, as he firmly grabs it, lifting it around his hip, giving her a clearer understanding on how she makes him feel. Y/N body begins to heat up, against his, as her core starts to dampen. She wanted this for quite some time, longingly pressing her body against his,as if wanting to feel every curve, every contour of his well-sculpted body.

'Diego...' She gasps into his mouth. He hums in pleasure at his name, his hands sneakily moving under the sweater; fingers boldly brushing upwards Y/Ns torso. Shivers run down her spine, as she arches against Diegos chest. In a distance, a thud of a car door, echoes into the kitchen.

'Diego!' Y/N proclaims again, involuntarily releasing her lips from his. He closes his eyes, as if to collect himself, slowly backing away from Y/N.

'I'm sorry, baby.' Y/N coos, cupping his face in her hands. 'But you have to go..' She rests her forehead against his.

'What if I don't come back?' Diego murmurs teasingly into Y/Ns mouth.

'Then I guess, I'll have to find you.' She smirks back. Diego gives Y/N a quick peck on the forehead, as he grabs his harness and drops it on his shoulder. Y/N grabs his hand, pulling him back. 'Just.. Be safe, okay?' He gives her that special wink of his before darting out of the kitchen.

'Where's Klaus?' Diego immediately asks.

'He went after Vanya. Said they need to talk.' Allison spoke, her voice covered in concern.

'Good, we're leaving, too.' He states confidently, putting a black jacket on. He straps his newly made harness, which fits him like a glove. Giving himself a pleased smile, he walks up to his siblings, giving them an encouraging clap on their shoulders.

'C'mon, Team Zero. It's show time.' Diego clasps his hands, darting out of the apartment. Luther, Allison and Five share a confused glance, as they lazily pick up their coats and go after Diego. Y/N walks up into the living room, her body resting against the door frame. A crooked smile appears on her face, as her fingertips brush against her lips. She chuckles at the memory, rolling her eyes. That boy don't know how to wink.

_______________________________________

Police sirens chime outside the kitchen window, as Y/N stomps around TV, anticipating. She glances at her newly acquired watch, the same watch that was ticking down minute, by minute that fateful evening. Her throat closed up, as it was hard to swallow, her anxiety going through the roof.

She only saw a glimpse of what could happen, yet she never saw what would follow. Will they come back? Will they get arrested? All these questions spun around in Y/Ns mind, as she paces impatiently around the living room. Waving her hand in front of her face to cool off, she took deep breaths, trying to calm herself down. Cold sweat washes over her, as her heart-beat rhythmically drums in her ears. It's been two hours.

Police sirens ring alarmingly close, as the news anchor continues their report on the JFK assassination. Y/N glances at the TV, her worried eyes roaming the screen, searching for any familiar faces, as her ears pick up the ever so loud signal. Shaking her head, she rushes to the kitchen; pressing herself close to the wall, she leans in, her index and middle finger carefully pushing the curtain to the side.

Red colours reflect off the alley walls and Y/Ns face. They're here. Quickly shutting the curtains, she rests her head against the wall, huffing in fear. Her eyes widen at her sudden idea, as she stumbles towards her brothers pin board. Her sweaty palms roam and knock different items off the cabinet below the pin board, as she sighs in relief, holding a map in her hands.

Ever since Five started looking for Vanya, Elliott began marking wavelengths that happened in the 10 mile radius, onto the map of Dallas. Her fingers brushed against the area, where it occurred the most, assuming that could be Sissys farm. She bites her lips as she runs towards the railing, glancing down, map neatly folded in her hand.

The dreadful writing was gone,supposedly the siblings had something to do with it. Y/N sees four shadows walking outside the old store entrance, muffled voices speak through the police radio.

'Shit!' Y/N swears to herself, as she jumps away from the railing, towards the corridor. She picks up her brothers overgrown black leather jacket; sticking her hands into their pockets, she feels cold metal jiggle; spare car key. Y/N smiles to herself, and sneaks out through the apartment door into outside.

Silently closing the main door behind her, Y/N glances around at possible exists. Police has the block surrounded, leaving Y/N with very few options. She swiftly walks out of the alley and into the street; glancing around, she notices the police looking around, talking to neighbours and taking notes. Fixing her coat, to cover her bottom half of the face, Y/N turns on her heel to the opposite direction. Elliotts car was parked just around the corner, which Y/N was hastily getting close to.

'Thank you very much, Mrs Bateman. We're going to question a few neighbours, and if something comes up, we're going to contact you.' A police officer nods to an older woman, as he steps looking for possible witnesses. _Oh, fuck._ Y/N swears under her breath, as she can already see the car in the distance.

The police officer looks around, his gaze passing by Y/Ns face, as she turns around, looking for cover. A younger couple brushes her shoulder as they walk past; she catches up to them, gently tugging at the males sleeve. ''Scuse me, fella, have you got a cigarette?' Y/N walks step in step with the couple. The man raises his eyebrow, confused; he glances at his partner, who shrugs, nudging his shoulder to do what Y/N asked him. He hands Y/N a cigarette, which the female leans in to light.

Y/N continues with them, pretending to be their acquaintance as she's passing the oblivious police officer. Taking a long drag, Y/N suppresses a cough, as she's puffing out the smoke, her eyes filling with tears.

'God, that's gross.' She whispers to herself. The couple stare her down, puzzled as she's still walking with them. 'You know, you two look like a great couple!' Y/N smiles as she finally reaches Elliotts car. 'Also, thanks for the cigarette!' She waves to the couple, who already rushed past her. Looking around, she flicks the bud onto the road. Y/N unlocks the car door and quickly gets into the car. Rubbing her hand across her face, she gets out the map, places it onto the passenger seat and carefully drives away from the city.

_____________________________________________

The engine inconsistently rattles, as Elliotts car speeds down the rural roads. Wind whistles through the crevices of the vehicle, as Y/N gaze shifts from the map, back to the road, her index finger pressing firmly into the paper. Her mouth slightly opens, as a quiet gasp escapes.

Looking in front, she sees something she hasn't seen in a long time; snow. A couple of lost snowflakes wander onto her car window, immediately melting away. More snowflakes follow, as Y/N gaze turns to the side of the road.

An anomaly was occurring far in the distance, as clouds intimidatingly hovered over a specific spot, a dark area that reminisced a building. Turning her head to look at the map, she traces her finger along the road, realising that she's going the right way, and that this anomaly might be her destination. She speeds up, as the engine begins to roar louder, the car shaking at the increasing momentum.

The temperature begins to drop drastically, as saturated breath comes out of Y/Ns mouth; a shiver runs down her body, fingers beginning to lose heat in them. Y/N rubs her palms together, holding the wheel tighter with her knees, to warm up. How is this possible in Dallas, of all the places?

Suddenly, a bright flash and a wave of energy bursts from the location, sending a current of power towards Y/N. On impact, the car began swerving on the empty road, Y/Ns hands frantically moving around the wheel, attempting to stabilise the vehicle. It felt like a collision with a truck; the left side of the car was considerably bent at the impact, as it continued rolling down the countryside road.

Hissing, Y/N rubbed her neck, suffering a light whiplash. She finally turns towards a farm, where the area is covered in snow at least a half a mile radius. Climbing out of the car, a whiff of freezing air blows her hair out of her face. Y/N searches around, as she begins to recognise the place. As if on instinct, she begins running towards the recognisable landscape; Y/N immediately stops, her hand on her mouth, as dozens of bodies lie across the snowy ground.

They all seem unharmed, peaceful almost, as if they all decided to fall asleep there and then. Walking around, carefully treading around the bodies and on further inspection, Y/N begins to notice blood coming out of some individuals ears, some had nose bleeds. Halting in her steps, she looks around to see if any one is actually alive and conscious. But it was silent. Dead bodies dropped like flies. In a distance, Y/N starts to hear a commotion; looking the opposite direction, she notices a barn, which she realises is the dark building from before.

Clouds have dispersed by now, only a faint sound of peoples voices coming from within. Y/N glances once more, her thumbs pressing into her palms; she begins to look for familiar faces, only to find none, much to her relief. More noise comes from the barn, as if trying to get Y/Ns attention. If _any_ of the Hargreeves are alive, they must be in there. Y/N ponders for a second longer, trying to put together a plan; her eyes glance at the nearest corpse.

A woman around her age, in a neat denim blue suit, a Tommy-gun discarded by her side. Her eyes are wide open, fixated on the sky as if she's only there to rest and enjoy the view. If not the drop of blood running down her chin, Y/N would've thought the woman was still alive. Gulping and raising her upper lip in repulsion, Y/N carefully leans in, her fingers dragging across the stinging snow, as they crawl towards the weapon.

Her eyes still fixated on the remains, her brows begin to crease. Still bent over, she glares around the nearest corpses; everyone was wearing the same denim suit, that was worn by a friendly man from the Commission. That can't be right. Scrunching her face, Y/N picks up the Tommy-gun, putting the strap around her neck and shoulder. Giving it a tug, she cautiously eyes the weapon, pulling at the receiver and what seems to be a safety lock. Something clicks and the magazine falls down onto the ground.

'Oh, for crying out loud!' Y/N kicks at the snow, her free hand running over her hair as she huffs the rest of it out of her face. She leans in trying to pull it together; with a sharp slam, she puts the magazine back.

'God, don't make me use it..' She mutters under her breath, as she begins to trod through the snow, towards the barn.

____________________________________

Snow crumples underneath her feet, as Y/N is nearing the barn. She approaches the nearby house, which looks pretty run down; windows smashed, certain walls knocked down, a huge hole in the roof, light looming onto the living room, which looks completely wrecked. Y/N inhales sharply, suppressing all the possible worst case scenarios.

Y/N stumbles over lose bricks and pieces of wood, stopping in her steps as she sees a figure walking into the barn. A blonde man, holding a weapon, similar to hers, sneaks towards the entrance. She gasps quietly as she recognises the man; it was one of the Swedes, the same man that killed Elliott.

Crouching, she saunters across the wall of the house, nearing the barn, Tommy-gun tightly attached to her chest. She had to admit, that if time had to come, she wouldn't know what she's doing. However, bluffing is one of the most powerful weapon there could be. She follows the Swede to the barn, as the voices from within become clearer.

'I know that we can be your family...' A soft tone of a familiar voice muffles through the wooden wall. 'If you let us.' Y/N, resting against the wall, glances over a crevice; just as suspected, Lila stood in front of Diego, a knife embedded into his chest, as his pleading gaze fixated onto her.

She frowned at the sight, and at his words; she heard him loud and clear, and all the previous conversations flipped through in her mind. Grasping her weapon tighter, she took a step towards the Swede, who was quietly and swiftly entering the barn.

Gun shots echoes inside, as Y/N instinctively pressed herself against the wall, shutting her eyes tightly at the sound. Exhaling, the breath she held, she again looked at the crevice; she sighs in relief as all the siblings are alright. Y/N steps closer, towards the man, as the end of the gun presses against his temple.

'Drop it!' Her voice demands shakily, as her finger wanders around the trigger.

'Enough!' Five yells from further, holding his hands in the air. The Swede freezes at the touch of cold metal in his temple; however, he doesn't seem to be bothered by the action, simply halting his movements as the weapon pushes further into his temple.

'Enough.' He breathes in a thick Swedish accent, nodding to Five, as he gently drops his weapon to his side, glancing to Y/N. Her eyes still fixated on him, as sweat begins to run down her forehead; she grits her teeth as her finger tightens around the trigger, hands violently shaking. This is it. He killed her brother, she could just press the trigger and end it there and then. The ultimate redemption, for losing someone who was her only support most of her live.

The Swede finally turns at Y/N, regret and sadness in his eyes; and that's when she realises. Her eyes widen at the thought, as her fingers relax around the gun. The three of them were family, and he lost them, too. He didn't have anyone any more, either. Looking down, Y/N sees the stern woman from the commission, lying on the ground lifeless, as bullet wounds adorn her chest. They didn't kill Elliott, because they wanted to. They killed him, because it was their _job_. Nothing personal.

'Enough, Y/N... Enough..' Five breathed once more, confirming Y/Ns assumptions. Y/N drops her hands down to herself, as her gun falls to her side, a single tear falling down her cheek. A sharp groan shakes her out of the moment as Lila finally turns to Y/N.

'You...' She licks her lips, her eyes fixated on Y/N. 'You little shit-sipper.' Her steps got closer to Y/N, as she swallowed stepping back. 'I had a plan, and you had to appear and fucking ruin it, you insufferable bitch!' Lila yelled as she advanced towards Y/N, Diegos knife in hand. Lila grabbed Y/N by her leather jacket collar, pushing her closer to her face; hearing Lilas every breath, Y/N gulped. The woman was unpredictable.

'Diego is mine, not yours. Never yours.' Lila whispers in Y/Ns ear, as the knife is now directed to Y/Ns throat, the sharp end pointing at the top of Y/N neck, skin turning red at the touch. Lila glances at Y/N bruise, giving her a cocky smile. Diego tries to walk up towards the two women, but Lila is quick enough to point his knife back at him, growling as a warning.

'I care for him too, you know. You don't have to act like a stuck-up bitch.' Y/N shoots back sharply, huffing away a strand of hair. Lilas glare was strong, but vulnerable. She does care. No matter what she went through, and who she was, she did have feelings for Diego. Despite the knife embedded in her throat, Y/N wished she could deny it; she wish she could tease Lila about it, tell Lila about her and Diego and to simply get lost.

Lila searched Y/Ns face, looking for some bluff, for some weakness, but couldn't find it. She shrieks at her own frustration, as she solidly slaps Y/N. She collapses on to the ground, holding onto her cheek, which increasingly begins to burn. Lila grabs the briefcase that lied close to her dead mother and jumps into a flash. At the same time, Luther tries to catch her as Diego tackles him to the side, Luther falling onto his brother, grunting as he tries to push the weight off of Diego.

'What the hell, why did you stop me?!' Luther yelled, lying on top of Diego, his eyes fixated on the spot, where Lila disappeared.

'Because.. I still love her.' Diego breathed, his words echoing in Y/Ns ears. Clutching at the ground, Y/N clenches her fist, punching the floor in defeat; tears begin to fill at the corner of her eyes, as the same words echo in her mind. Looking down, she huffs in frustration as she attempts to collect herself. Kicking the hay out of her way, she tries to stand up, as a soft grip helps her get up.

'When you said you loved someone, who loved someone else..' Allison, whispered to Y/Ns ear. 'You could've just said that it was our brother.' Fixing her stance, Allison released with an apologetic smile.

'Does it matter any more..?' Y/N whispered back, leaning into Allisons shoulder. She glances at Diego, who clumsily pulls himself away from Luther. His gaze avoids Y/N, which gives her more of a confirmation to leave. Five approaches Y/N glancing down at the weapon she held before; picking it up, he analyses it, giving it a sceptical look.

'You know, the magazine was placed incorrectly..?' Five raises his eyebrow, his hands swiftly placing it the right way.

'Who gives a shit?' Y/N finally rolled her eyes, smiling at other Hargreeves siblings. Avoiding Diegos gaze, she approaches Vanya, who gives her a weak smile.

'How did you find us?' She asked, creasing her eyebrows.

'Let's just say, that my brother told me, where to look.' Y/N gave her a soft smile, her hand hovering over Vanyas shoulder. Vanya nods, her hand grasping Y/Ns hand.

'I'm sorry, Y/N..' Vanyas her eyebrows crease. 'Harlan is still in danger, I have to go and help him.' Vanya frowns; she squeezes Y/Ns hand one more time, then runs towards the lower floor of the barn. Fixing herself, Y/N gives a sheepish glance towards Diego; which he reciprocates.

'Glad to see you alive. ' Y/N mumbles under her breath as she gives a weak smile to Diego.

'You shouldn't have come...' Diego shifts his glance to the floor. 'You could've gotten hurt.' He frowns, as a light pinkish glow covers Y/Ns right cheek.

'The police was about to search Elliotts place, if they would've found me, they would've interrogated me.' Y/N mutters straight-forwardly. 'Since you're all alive and well, I probably should go.' Y/N shifts in her spot, stepping backwards as the commotion starts to cool down, nodding to the rest of the siblings and waving goodbye, Y/N turns and begins to stride out.

'Y/N, wait!' Diego tries to stop Y/N, as she's halts outside the barn. Diego approaches Y/N, his hand gently cupping her chin; Y/N looks down, pulling her lip up in disappointment.

'Diego...' She groaned, frowning at his touch. Y/N swats his hand, taking a few steps back. She shakes her head, her eyebrows creased, as she turns on her heel and begins to rush towards Elliotts car, leaving Diego standing on the snowy ground; his hand still hovering, where Y/N was, moments ago.

Frustrated, Y/N slams the car door, as she falls into the drivers seat, slamming her fists against the steering wheel. Tears start pouring out, her head resting against the wheel, hands helplessly dropped over it. Y/N lets out a soundless scream, as she suffers through an emotional turmoil. Her body wanted to leave this place, with only a few dollars in her pocket, she was ready to drive as far as the vehicle would take. Anger, sadness, frustration, _love._ She felt all those emotions, turning her into a pathetic mess.

Mostly, she was frustrated at her self. Y/N relied on others so much, she never had time to work through her own emotions; she never cared much for herself, only for others. And now it was only her left. She never realised, how bad the inside voices can be; demeaning, derogative and defamatory. The second her eyes laid on Diego, she knew that this was too good to be true, and good things always come to an end. Perhaps, she should've listened to those voices. Realising that it's the last time she sees the Hargreeves, she wipes her tears with her palms, inhaling and exhaling to compose herself. This chapter is over, and it is time to move on. No family, no safe place to stay; just her from now on. Y/N leans back, resting her head on the headrest, rubbing her hands across her face as she huffs in frustration.

'Okay, let's get out of here..' She mutters to herself, as a weak encouragement, her hand hovering over the transmission.

'Let's not.' Five disagrees, as he flashes into the seat, next to Y/N. His lips pressed tightly, he quickly pulls the car keys out of the ignition, sticking them into his pocket.

'Hey!' Y/N hissed, trying to reach for her keys, only to Five reach out and slap her hand away from himself.

'I gotta be honest, Y/N, I thought you were smarter.' Five sighed looking in front of him. In the distance, two figures, dressed in denim blue appeared in the middle of corpse laid ground. Five paused for a moment, his eyes narrowing. Diego, looking away from the car, turns around to face the two figures; he glances back frowning, and begins strolling towards the two people.

'Well, clearly, I was stupid to begin with.' Y/N shot back at Five. Rolling his eyes, he looks around again, as if observing the surroundings, like he ignored her words. The silence, almost deafening, as Y/N eyes dart to the pocket with her car keys. Noticing her stare, Five shoves his hands in his pockets, fingers gripping tighter around the keys.

'Diego may not be the smartest...' Fives words trail, as his eyes follow his brother. 'But he cares and loves with all his heart. Perhaps his only decent quality.' Five states matter-of-factly. Y/N scoffs at his words, her fingers pressing into the steering wheel, as emotions begin to build up inside her.

'Your point?' Y/N huffs, eyes dropped down to her steering wheel. She would rather chew her own foot, than have this conversation right now.

'My point is..' Five pauses looking for the right words. It was obvious, that the man was all about the logic. Trying to explain or talk about feelings made him uncomfortable, which Y/N picked on immediately. 'He loves you, too. But he doesn't have the balls to say it in person.' He finally turns to Y/N; his gaze is much softer. It's obvious he cares for his family; the way he pushes through topics he'd rather avoid, just to try and fix everything. Eventually, he cares for Y/N, too. She's intelligent, both mentally and emotionally, caring and careful and makes the best damn coffee, there is.

'Y/N..' Five breathes, pressing his fingers at the bridge of his nose. 'You don't know Diego, as well as I know him, alright?' He fixes his hair, as he continues. 'You.. You have to trust me, okay? So once we attain a briefcase, we're ALL-' Five waves his hand around. 'Go to 2019, got it?' His hand moves towards the door handle, eyebrow raised, anticipating Y/Ns next move. Y/N leans towards Five, eyeing him up and down; he firmly pressed his lips together, but his eyes were searching for some sort of agreement.

'No.' Y/N mutter, a bitter smirk appears on her face.

'Oh, yeah? What are you going to do here, huh?' Five shifted in his seat, facing Y/N, a similar smirk appearing on his face. 'Elliotts apartment is probably being raided by cops and the Feds. So once they see all the clippings and recordings that he has collected.' Five confidently nods, as Y/N begins to shrink in her own seat. 'His face will appear on the news! But wait! He's actually dead, so guess whose picture will appear next?' Five crosses his arms, car keys hooked on his index finger.

'So do you want to avoid all this? Or do you want to die on an electric chair?' Y/N raises her hands, admitting defeat. She slumps back into the seat, looking at a distance. Five is right, he's _always_ right.

'Shit...' She bites her lip at the thought. The police were by Elliotts apartment, when she left. The things he's collected over the three years, would definitely raise questions. Not to mention, he's not alive any more. What if they find the body? What if they do start looking for Y/N? She could drive all she want, even down to Mexico or Canada, but a crime this big would not be avoided. Not to mention, the Hargreeves siblings would be years away, leaving her to it. She'd get the electric chair. _Twice._

'Five...I'm scared, okay?' Y/N tone is hush, as she turns to Five, frowning. Tears begin to well up at the corners, which she vehemently resists. 'I'm just an ordinary person. I've got no skills, no powers. And then there's Diego...' Y/N shuts her eyes tight, inhaling sharply. 'It's all too much. I need some sort of compromise... A-a-an equilibrium.' Y/N shrugs at her own words, eyebrows creased in annoyance. She hysterically chuckles, brushing hair out of her face.

'God, this all sounds so stupid..' Y/N mutters under her breath. She feels a feathered touch on her shoulder; turning around she sees Five, his hand carefully placed on her as his tightly pressed lips slowly turn into a simper.

'I've got you a compromise.'

'Wait, wha-?' Before Y/N finishes, Five quickly grabs her arm, flashing them out of the car.

_________________________________________

'What the hell, Five?!' Y/N yelled at him, kicking snow in his direction. Surprisingly she wasn't affected as much by the sudden transportation. Perhaps, her body actually started to adjust to such anomalies. Glancing around, Y/N fixes her jacket, eyes quickly shifting away as they meet Diegos.

'I thought you're leaving.' Diego whispered softly to Y/N, leaning close to her face, much to her dislike. She huffed in annoyance, since she did indeed like it. His hot breath against her skin was exactly what she needed. Shaking those thoughts away, she crosses her arms, taking a step to the side.

'Yeah, Five is very good at convincing.' She replied coolly. Y/N hears Diego sigh, as snow crinkles under his feet. A heavy arm wraps Y/N waist, pulling her closer to himself. Diegos fingers run across her arm, as if trying to warm her up. Why does he have to act like _this_? Y/N freezes at his touch; she puts on a poker face, but inadvertently leans into his body. The smell of leather, and the warmth of his body almost soothes Y/N, it feels secure and comfortable. Yet...

'Herb. Dot. It's nice to see you.' Five nods to both individuals. Y/N smiles and gives a weak wave.

'Hello Herb. And Dot, it's nice to meet you.' Pulling herself away from Diego, Y/N leans in to shake the womans hand. She looks very warm and welcoming; her big smile could melt snow. Like a person one could immediately trust, she just radiated serenity and kindness. Eagerly reciprocating the handshake, Dot beams gleefully.

'Ah, you must be Y/N. Herb, uh, mentioned... Meeting you.' Dot corrected herself, as Herb gave her a warning look.

'Herb, we need a briefcase to get home.' Five changes the subject, getting to the point. As he usually would.

'Well, you've got plenty to pick from...' Herb almost frowns, waving his hand around at his dead co-workers. 'Oh, dear. Oh, dear.' Herb looked to the ground, frowning.

'There goes most of our Operations department..' Dot added, tutting disapprovingly.

'Herbie, told me he's been voted as Chair of Commission.' Diego turned to Five.

'Temporarily voted.' Herb corrected sheepishly.

'Since the Commission has got a new head, perhaps you could start with a new recruit.' Five suggests, his hand pointing towards Y/N.

'What?' Diego gasped, turning to Y/N.

'Huh? What?' She glanced back with as much confusion, her eyes darting towards Five and Herb.

'She's a quick learner. Insightful. Give her the right training and you'll get yourself a decent agent.' Five gives Y/N a genuine smile and a nod. 'You wanted compromise, Y/N.' Five shrugs nonchalantly. 'The Commission resides in 1955, which should be familiar enough.' He turns to Diego. 'With you being at the Commission, we could have a chance to see you again. If Herb would let you, of course.' Five smirks, as Diegos glance softens, mouthing 'thank you' to his brother. Herb looks at Dot, who happily nods.

'We are short-staffed...' Herb chuckles at his own joke. Y/N hesitantly steps forward, biting her lip. 'You'd really like it there.' Herb knowingly winked at Y/N.

'Sure it's a bit chaotic, but I'm sure we can build it back to its full potential.' Dot suggested. Y/N turns around at Five, who nods confidently to go with them. Her gaze shifts to Diego, however it is difficult to read his expression.

Perhaps he's recapping the previous circumstances; Lila has disappeared, giving Diego a glimpse of hope, that she'll return and join his family. Perhaps, he is eventually accepting that Y/N is going away, too. Yet with a possibility, a promise to return. His gaze is lost in thought, lips pressed tightly. He's losing two people today. An old flame, which he's gradually letting go, and a new found love, which he promised to protect.

'I promised to be there for you.' Diego finally looks back to Y/N, with pained eyes. 'I promised to protect you..' He took a step closer to her. Y/N freezes in her spot, as Diego wrap his fingers around hers, his thumbs soothingly rubbing against her knuckles.

'I-I just can't go with you. Not right now.' Y/N frowns looking down. Unclasping her fingers from his, she takes a step back, giving each Hargreeves sibling a comforting smile. 'I guess this is a goodbye, then.' Y/N shrugs, shuffling towards Five. She pushes her hand forward, hoping for a handshake. Five thinks for a moment, before he grins that rare smile of his, clasping her hand in his; another gently placed on top of her hand.

'Glad you came to your senses.' Five stated impassively. Rolling her eyes, Y/N lets out a small snicker.

'Diego...' She frowns stepping towards the man, she fought so hard not to love. But there it was, there _he_ was. Fives words rush back to Y/N mind, which she aggressively refuses to sink in. But she loved him, and she wish she could tell him. However, everything took a different toll and it was just a wrong time, and a wrong place for that.

Becoming a part of the Commission will give Y/N a different outlook; time to process the last few weeks, and time to process her feelings. Maybe she'll use this new challenge as a distraction. Or maybe she'll motivate herself, that she still has a chance to go into the future, once she's ready.

Perhaps this is what Diego needs, too. He suffered through enough, and time does seem to be the best medicine. Y/N smiles a tight-lipped smile; unsure, she reaches for Diego, her arms enfolding around his shoulders. Her grip tightens, as her face buries into Diegos shoulder. Diego reciprocates, resting his head against hers, his lips softly brushing against Y/Ns neck. They both inhale and exhale at the same time; they don't need words, and they both understand that completely. Stepping back Y/N gives him a small smile.

'Don't forget me. Don't forget us.' Diego implores quietly. Pressing her lips together, Y/N looks down to her feet, giving a small nod. She turns on her heel to walk to already awaiting Herb and Dot, as Diegos firm grasp stops her by her hand. Turning her around, his mouth opens as if to say something. His eyes search Y/Ns but his shoulders slump, as no words come out. Instead, he cups Y/N face, his thumb caressing her bruises, and leans in to kiss her forehead. His lips are hot and soft against her skin, comforting and caring. Y/N leans into his lips, her hands travel up his arms, cupping his hands, that are still holding her face.

'Bye, Diego...' She whispers to him, as she eventually releases, pushing away and walking towards Herb and Dot. Dot pushes her hand out, for Y/N to take, which she sheepishly accepts.

'Oh you're gonna love the Commission. For lunch this week, we're having Mexican.' Dot smiles gleefully, squeezing Y/Ns hand tight. Y/N couldn't help but smile at Dots excitement; perhaps this is going to be interesting, after all. Giving one last glance to Diego and Five, Y/N nods as the Head of the Commission, Head Analyst and a future Operative flashed into the commission leaving Diego and Five standing alone, in the field.

_________________________________

Five took a couple of steps around the snow, crunching it beneath his feet. Diego turned to his brother, cocking an eyebrow.

'How did you know, she'd agree to this?' He asked, kicking the snow around himself.

'I didn't.' Five shrugged, beginning to walk. Diego stood for a moment, narrowing his eyes, before he began to follow Five. 'She's upset.' Five states, to which Diego frowns, nodding.

Of course, she will be upset. Let's be honest, no one in their right mind, would want to hear someone professing their love to someone else. But it happened, he blurted it out, in the heat of the moment. He obviously shouldn't have. Instead he could've told Y/N that he loves her, dearly. Maybe she would've been by his side now, planning their next move as they step into the future, together. He could've helped her with studies, finding a job. Maybe he could've trained her, even. Make her his partner; in life and in work. That way he could've kept his promise, of protecting her, keeping her safe, since she could be by his side,at all times. But it's all a toss of the dice now. Commission isn't necessary a safe place, but it's better than staying here. Glancing back at Diego, Five rolls his eyes.

'If she would've stayed, the Feds would've gotten to her.' He stated the obvious. 'I guess, she's not ready to go with us. But it isn't safe here, either. So I did what I could; I found a middle ground. A compromise.' He continued, as they walked towards the broken down house.

'Hey, Five...' Diego stops his brother, his hand pressing into Fives shoulder. 'Thanks...'

'I didn't do it just for you, you moron.' Five swats Diegos hand away, continuing to walk. Diego smirks, following his brother. 'Next time before you say something. Try using your brain, not your dick for thinking.' Five scolds him, running his hand through his thick, dark hair.

'Ouch.' Diego hissed mockingly.

'Oh shut up, idiot. Let's get us home.' Five groans as they step onto the broken stairs, and into the house, where the rest of the siblings await.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooof, 9,5k. It took me ages and hours to write, I did my best and I hope you enjoy it. After this chapter, we'll begin a new story, so hopefully that will have you intrigued and invested into this story in the future.
> 
> Again, thank you so much for reading, I'd love to hear from you and hopefully I'll have the next chapter up in the upcoming week!


	13. Upside down and Inside out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new story begins. The Hargreeves siblings meet their alternative family, only to be kicked out of it. Y/N presents herself for the first time as the Commission agent. She gives some information, on what is happening, only to be rudely interrupted. It was, however, completely expected.

The house felt silent, but it wasn't the silence they expected. A most shocking hint was a portrait, that of Ben, their deceased brother, proudly placed above the fireplace. Something was clearly off. Five dug his thumbs into his palms, trying to calculate the possibilities of them being somewhere, they shouldn't. Sure they were glad to back home, but is it _home_? Home felt somewhat lively, which considering the circumstances, was almost impossible. A fireplace burned brightly, warming up the atmosphere as a painfully recognisable figure,stood in front it.

'I've expected you sooner.' A stern voice called out the siblings, glancing at his old-fashioned pocket watch . Each sibling reacted to the familiar voice differently; Diego and Five clenched their jaws, as other siblings stared in shock.

'I can't believe you're alive.' Luther breathed, as a stunned smile appeared on his face.

'Alive? Why shouldn't I be?' Almost shocked, the sharp tone replied.

'Let's just be glad to be back home. I guess things changed a little.' Allison tried to convince her siblings, as Five and Diego stood there suspicious, clenching their fists, eyes narrowed.

'Home? This isn't your home!' The stern voice of Reginald Hargreeves kept echoing against the walls of the painfully familiar halls.

'What are you talking about? This is the Umbrella Academy. Our home.' Luther refused to give up, his eyebrows creasing in confusion.

'Boy, clearly you're wrong again. This is the Sparrow Academy.' Reginalds hand hovers towards the staircase, presenting his alternative team.

'Father, who are these losers?' A familiar man huffs, his eyebrows creasing in derogatory way, eyeing each of the Umbrella Academy members, suspiciously. Each sibling drops their jaw as they cannot believe their eyes. Stepping out of the dark, in front of them, stood an alive and well Ben Hargreeves, the Horror, their sibling who passed away Seventeen years ago. His eyebrows creased, and his upper lip raised in disgust and confusion. Klaus almost chocked on his own saliva at the sight, presented in front of him.

'Benny boy, we're your family.' Klaus tries to convince Ben, much to his dismay.

'Father, what are they talking about?' Ben refuses to listen, turning to his father.

'Oh, pay no attention to it, boy. They're not your family.' Reginald continues as figures hover over the top of the stair case. 'Seeing how incompetent all of you were, I decided to take a different route.' Reginald left his spot, sauntering towards the original Hargreeves siblings. 'You're intolerable, inadequate and thanks to your outrageous behaviour when we first met, I've learnt not to trust you.' He pulls his chin up eyeing each sibling, giving them a patronizing look. 'Thankfully, I've learnt my lesson, and follow up on another set of children born on October 1st, 1989.' His hand waved towards the railing, where the rest of the so called Sparrow Academy stood, arms crossed. 'Therefore, I managed to collect a team of competent, talented and flawless individuals, that managed to stay alive and succeed at every mission.'

'We were bullied and tortured into becoming the people we are, is this what you call this new project? A bunch of traumatised children, doing the devils work?' Diego hisses, his eyes dart up, where the Sparrow Academy stares back, smugly.

'I must admit, I've failed, considering how the lot of you turned out.' Reginald admitted. He halts near Five, taking his monocle off and effortlessly wiping it with a handkerchief. 'My children fight crimes. Save lives.' Reginald states, making the siblings flinch at the word 'my'. They never expected their father to use it, not even towards them, and not especially towards someone else. 'They're a perfect team. Learning from my, clearly, past mistakes, I've turned them into intelligent, fighting individuals. A team of superheroes.' Reginald stated proudly, puffing his chest out as an emphasis.

'Okay. We get it.' Five is the one to step forward. His confidence outshone his siblings, as he recalls his meeting with Reginald, and how his advice actually helped them survive. His stance was sceptic and careful, yet he knew what Reginald Hargreeves was about, as much as Reginald knew about Five. Standing in front each other, almost at each others level, Five began asking questions.

'So what now, Reginald?' Five calls his dad by his first name, finding it extremely unusual, but applicable to this situation.

'Well...' Reginald looks around, as if trying to recall a memory. 'You're of no use to me, so might as well... Leave.' Reginald raises his eyebrow, as the rest of the Sparrow academy murmur accordingly. Clearly the rest of the so called new family did not appease to the idea of a set of new siblings.

'So that's it? You're kicking us out?' Vanya steps forward, creasing her eyebrows.

'Oh don't act surprised, silly girl.' Reginald huffed in disgust. 'This is not your home, and this is not your family.' He walks up to his Number One, Ben. Clasping his shoulder, Reginald beams pridefully, looking at Ben.

'I am thankful, for whatever that experience was. At least now I have an effective team, that actually does enough to save the world.' Reginald turns, leaving the living room, a wooden cane in hand, clacking echoing throughout the tall ceilings of his mansion.

'You've heard father.' Ben grits his teeth, as his siblings widen their stances, as if ready to attack. 'You should leave, you have no reason to be here any more.' Ben crosses his arms, waiting for the others to follow his directions.

'Benny, you're being ridiculous. Where will we go?' Klaus tries to plead, refusing to believe that his brother would talk that way.

'Not my problem. And certainly not the Sparrow Academy's problem.' Ben turns on his heel, climbing upstairs to unite with his new siblings. 'Also, don't ever call me that.' Ben curls his lip, as he joins the rest of his siblings. Looking down, they await, as the original Hargreeves siblings are forcefully made to leave a place, they've called home. ___________________________________________________

'I knew it.' Luther punches a wall in the back alley. At his impact, loose bricks crumple towards the ground. 'I told all of you, that it was a bad idea to meet dad in that stupid Tikki bar.' Luther huffed, punching yet another area of the wall, same thing happening. 'Now look what happened!?' He pulls away from the wall, walking towards Five. 'How do we get out of this one?' He pleads, his eyes searching Fives.

Five stares back, only for his shoulders to slump, his hand running up his hair. 'I.. I don't know.'

'Five? You're the brains of the family, if you don't know we're screwed.' Klaus waves his hands, still trying to process what just happened.

'There's six of us.' Five shoots back. 'Perhaps someone else could use their brain for once, and actually come up with something.' Looking down, Five kicks a rock that stumbles towards a trash can, deeper into the alley. A clank of aluminium metal reflect off of the brick walls, that Luther was butchering at previously. The six of them stood in a circle, completely lost and puzzled as what to do next.

'We just got kicked out, out of our own home.' Diego sighed exasperatedly, as he shifted in his spot.

'So what now? Are we going to sit in the alleyway for the rest of the day, or are we going to do something?' Allison drops her hands to the side, huffing in frustration.

'Is it too early to say, that I would've preferred yet another apocalypse?' Vanya shrugged, looking around, a frown imprinted on her face, like the rest of her siblings. Each Hargreeves brother and sister wandered around in circles, hands in their pockets, on their chin, or rubbing their temples, deep in thought. This was new. This was unexpected.

Although it was only an ironic joke, perhaps Vanyas words made sense. At least Five deflected two different apocalypses, at least he knew that with his family, at hand, they can manage through. _Somehow._ But now everything turned upside down and inside out. Things stopped making sense any more. A distorted reality, that was real to seven billion people, but not to the six of them. Nothing was the way they left it, which raised millions of questions.

Facing each other in the circle, the siblings sighed in defeat, admitting that they're completely lost. Klaus rolls his eyes, pouting as he stares at the nearby bin. Without saying a word, he staggers towards it; sticking his nose inside, his face scrunches at the odour. His siblings watch curiously, as Klaus, places his hands on the frame of the bin, swiftly jumping into it. A muffled sound comes out of it, as random pieces of trash begin to fall outside.

'Klaus!' Vanya and Allison yell, as they run after him, hanging off of the ledge of the metal cube.

'What the hell are you doing??' Allison shouts at her brother, who seems to be bathing in the junk. Bitter and sickly smells of old food and mould make the sisters gag, as they step away.

'I'm getting comfortable, what does it look like??' Klaus pops out of the bin, a piece of salad draped on his shoulder. It was mouldy and shrivelled. 'Dear old Reggie kicked us out, so... Ta-dah!' Klaus falls back into the trash, making trashy angels.

'Come on, Klaus. That's disgusting.' Vanya covers her nose, crunching her face in disgust. 'My apartment isn't that far away, we'll just stay there.'

'How do you know the place is still there?' Five asks immediately, his fingers pressing into his chin.

'Five is right.' Diego gulps, stepping closer to his brother. 'Dad is alive. Ben is alive. This is not the place we left.' He glances at Five, who narrows his eyes, staring back.

'Perhaps a visit to the Commission has put some sense into you.' Five mumbled, walking away.

'So, what? We're homeless?' Luther crosses his arms, exacerbated.

'Well it's not the first time, I'm sleeping in a bin, so...' Klaus' voice echoes out of the box. 'Hey, guys, you can all fit in here!' His head pops up out of the bin again; his hair messed up, as pieces of different,rotten foods spot in the strands of his brown curls. 'We'll just use Luthers arms as pillows! C'mon it's gonna be fun!' He darts back, as more trash begin to fall out of it.

'For the love of God.' Allison turns away, rubbing her head. As usual, the siblings begin to argue, as many questions arise, regarding their further plans, accommodation and what reality, they've got themselves into. A loud bang startles them, halting the bickering momentarily as something heavy bounces against the drainage pipe. Five recognises the metal capsule, as it speedily rolls, bumping against his foot. Looking down, he leans in, anxiously taking it into his hands.

'What is that?' Luther asks, curiously. Five remains silent, as his left hand slowly turns the lid, a quiet hiss of suppressed air leaves the capsule, a piece of paper neatly folded inside. Pulling it slightly, Five inspects it.

'What does it say?' Diego tries to take the piece of paper from Five. Seeing his name written on it, Five glares back at Diego, moving the letter further away from his brothers grasp.

'It's addressed to me.' Five states firmly, twisting his mouth. His eyebrows crease, as he pulls away, looking into distance.

'Lemme see!' Diego insists stubbornly, as he snatches the paper out of Fives grasp.

'Give it back!' Five yells at Diego, as he pounces towards him. Unfortunately, Diego is quick enough to stop him; grasping his face in his palm, Diego pulls Five away at a distance, as he reads through the paper, eyebrows creased in concentration.

'You dumb bastard, do you even know how to read?!' Five muffles into Diegos sweaty hand. Eventually, Five flashes out of Diegos grasp and onto his other side. In surprise, Five knees Diego in his stomach, who groans and crouches down in pain. Releasing the note, Five is quick enough to snatch it back. Fixing his blazer, he huffs lose strands of hair out of his face, giving his brother a deadly stare.

'You're done acting like teenage boys?' Allison raises her eyebrow, as she crosses her arms.

'Okay, first of all, I only look like that. Do I have to remind all of you, that, technically, I'm the eldest?' Five huffs, sticking the piece of paper into his pocket. 'Diego, on the other hand, is a literal grown ass man!' He points to his sibling, whose still trying to catch his breath.

'You sick son of a bitch-!' Diego growls as he tries to dart towards his eldest brother. However, Luthers strong grip holds both of them by their collars, pulling them away to the opposite sides, sternly staring at the both of them.

'That's enough! We've got enough on our plate!' Luther scolds them. Upon a slow and careful release, the brothers exhale, fixing their clothing.

'You couldn't just said, that the Commission wants to meet you?' Diego hissed, accusingly pointing towards his brother.

'What part of “addressed to me”, don't you understand, Diego?' Five hisses back.

'Already? The Commission is looking for us?' Vanya stares at her brother, eyes widened in surprise.

'I thought we're not being hunted any more..' Allison creased her eyebrow, looking at Five also, expecting an answer.

'Well, I'm leaving in a minute, to find out.' Five begins to turn on his heel, as a strong grip stops him in his steps.

'I'm coming with you.' Diego insists, looking down at Five.

'Do you seriously not know how to read, Diego? It was addressed to me.' Five points to himself, gritting his teeth. 'One thing the Commission does not appreciate, is not following orders.'

'I know what the Commission does, and does not appreciate.' Diego shoots back sternly, his grasp tightening around Fives shoulder.

'Please.' Five hisses, sarcastically. They have a stare-down, both gazes narrow as if trying to overtake the other. Realising that Diego won't budge, Five exhales and shakes his body out of his brothers grasp.

'Like, I said. Stubborn as a mule.' Five muttered under his breath, kicking yet another pebble near his shoes. Sticking his hands into his pockets,he begins to rush towards the main street. It doesn't take long, until a heavier sound of steps begin to follow him.

'So... You're just leaving us?' Allison narrowing her eyes and crossing her arms.

'Go to the nearest park, we'll meet you there.' Diego quickly orders, as he waves his hand dismissively. Both, Five and Diego step into the streets of New York City, as everything they remember isn't the same.

_________________________________________

Unfolding the crumpled note, Five eyes narrow, re-reading it for a hundredth time. His name in bold letters and a set of coordinates, was the only thing written on it. Diego hovers his brother, as if trying to understand, what Five is seeing. Feeling his brothers presence near, Five crumples his nose in annoyance. That's his personal space. Without saying anything, Five looks around and begins walking, down the recognisable road, the piece of paper messily crammed inside his pocket. Diego rolls his eyes and catches up to him.

Receiving confused and downright scared looks from the pedestrians, Diego quickly pulls out a few of the shiny knifes, and hides them in his pockets, to avoid anxious gazes. Diegos eyes begin to search the surroundings, especially the people. His fingers hover around his torso, as if looking for something that would further raise suspicion. Last time he was armed, during social hours, he was put into a mental hospital. Firstly, he shudders at the thought; remembering the tedious sessions with a psychiatrist, the flavourless food and that awful _needle_. His lips press into a line, when he remembers the somewhat tolerable moments with Lila. He hopes, she's okay. A smaller arm presses against his chest, as Five stops in his steps, glancing towards a place that looks painfully familiar.

'Wait...' Diego narrows his eyes in disbelief. 'Is that-'

'Griddy's Doughnuts' Five confirms. And there it was; the one thing that could possibly give them some comfort in the foreign timeline, they've got themselves in. A place so recognisable, so familiar, except for a colour scheme, which did not bother the brothers at all. Here it almost looked, more well-kept, perhaps slightly modern. Yet, the bright sign shone as it always did; as if inviting, suggesting that whatever is inside, is what they need.

'And you sure this is the place?' Diego raises his eyebrow. Five fumbles in his pocket, before retrieving the message. Giving it one last glance, he scrunches it up again, this time throwing it out into the nearby bin.

'Positive.' He huffs, sternly sticking his hands into his pockets. Five looks around the street, which surprisingly is rather quiet, before stepping into the road and marching towards the doughnut shop. Once he crosses the road, he notices Diego pause, as he's still curiously eyeing the place.

'If you insist on coming, I would expect you to actually follow through.' Five rolls his eyes, as he continues to near their destination. Eventually, Diego awkwardly jogs across the road and towards his brother. Five presses his body against the entrance door, which effortlessly swing open, a ding of a bell echoing throughout the establishment. He pauses, glaring at his brother; pressing his back to the door, Five waves his hand for Diego to walk in first.

'If only you were always this nice.' Diego mutters sarcastically, as he passes his brother, gaining an eye roll and a shit-eating grin. Diego lets out a long whistle, looking around the inside of this place.

'Last time I was here, there were dead guys scattered across the floor..' His gaze shifts to the ground, mental images of dead, masked men lying in different positions. Unfortunately, this place triggered other, less pleasant memories, which Diego spent months, trying to suppress. It pains him, realising that all that happened before, wasn't exactly that long ago. Truthfully, he recalls everything all too well. Especially now. Looking in front of him, he saw a counter, where a waitress in a neat 1950s uniform was wiping away at the surface. That's when Diego remembered the woman, he interviewed, how Patch caught him and electrocuted him. That was so _typical_ of her. He smirked to himself at the memory. That's why he loved her years ago, and cared for her still, after all that time. She didn't come to play, she came to protect and to serve. Suddenly, his bottom lip begins to quiver, when he remembers Eudoras lifeless body, tightly wrapped in his arms, as police sirens were nearing the motel.

'Don't remind me...' Five shifted in his steps, as he decided to approach the waitress. The place seemed vacant; a faint melody of a jukebox, a delicious smell of sugar powder and coffee, and walls scattered in Old Hollywood memorabilia and photographs.

'Hi, welcome to Griddy's. What can I getcha?' The woman speaks in a monotone voice; clearly doing it for a billionth time. Chewing gum, she presents a tight-lipped smile, which never reaches her eyes. Diego and Five glance at each other, pausing to think.

'Uh, we're actually here to meet someone-' Diego crease his eyebrows, pointing his thumb behind him. Before he can finish his sentence, the waitress rolls her eyes, huffing in displeasure, nodding towards the far end of the shop.

'Thanks.' Five gives his signature smile, before turning on his heel. Giving Diego an encouraging nod, he shuffles further into the shop. The soulful sound coming out of a jukebox becomes increasingly louder; bright neon lights, reflect off of the walls, playfully flashing around, to the beat of the sound as 'Hold On, I'm Comin' ' by Sam & Dave plays.

A figure stands in front of the juke box; a rather small frame, perfectly highlighted by the denim blue suit, that both of the brothers know so well. Hair neatly tied in a pony tail, as strands of auburn hair drape onto their shoulder. Looking down, the person is wearing combat boots, which is an unusual, comparing to the rest of the ensemble. A black briefcase is placed between their legs, which is a clear sign, that Five and Diego is at a right place. Loud tapping and groaning is heard from the individual, as their left hand carefully bangs to the side of the music player.

'Why won't you play..?' A quiet hiss comes out of the person, as the tapping continues. Ultimately, 'Cantaloupe Island' by Herbie Hancock begins to play, smooth jazz sets a soothing and calming mood. The person claps their hands in victory, their feet tapping to the rhythm. That's when it finally hits him. Five creases his eyebrows first, then a smirk spreads across his face. There's only two people he knows, who turn to music ever so often. And Luther is six feet tall.

'About time you showed up.' Five says teasingly, gaining a confused look from Diego. Finally, the persons shoulders tense, looking to the side, they finally reveal their profile , a friendly grin mapped on their face. Diego gasps, as the familiar smile, emerges from the soft and pink lips, he so longingly touched hours ago. The auburn hair perfectly matches her complexion and the intense colour of her eyes; a new touch, that compliments her perfectly.

'Say, Five. It's been ,like, what... Fifty-six years?' Y/N says jokingly, eyes gleefully glimmering, as she turns on her heel,her body fully facing Five and Diego. Y/N looked different, yet same. The auburn hair was a strange surprise; her smirk gave away confidence, that perhaps previously, was somewhat hidden away. Confident, almost smug. But her eyes stayed the same, the caring gaze; the same look she'd give Five, when she hands him a cup of warm and delicious coffee, or a look that captivated Diego when Y/N took care of him. Y/Ns face was more bony, tired; faint wrinkles around her eyes, suggesting she's aged. Nonetheless, she still looked lively, as the big grin stayed imprinted onto her face. 'It feels more like the longest, most brutal hour of my life.' Five sighs. Eventually, Y/N smile drops, as she presses her lips into a thin line; she frowns at Five, turning her gaze to Diego.

'How about you, stranger? Missed me?' Y/N raises her eyebrow, a smirk returning back to her face. Suddenly, Diego feels reluctance to reciprocate. Surely it wasn't the smug confidence, which he has to admit, he's beginning to enjoy, it suits her. Something felt... _Off._ Distant, even. The way they've left things, clearly they would embrace, perhaps kiss. And Diego wanted to approach her and kiss her. Spin his fingers into her hair, as if to feel the copper hues in his fingers. He perfectly recalls their last, and first, kiss; the passion they both had for each other, eagerness, how each of their hands were roaming, and searching another's body. Fire, almost painful, burning within as they were holding onto each other for their dear life, refusing to let go. There's still so much he'd want to do, to say. However, Y/N didn't shift in her spot, she didn't even lean to shake his hand. The warm grin was there, the teasing words spoken more in a friendly manner, than romantic. What happened? Bending over, Y/N grabs a hold of her briefcase, waving her hand towards the counter.

'C'mon guys, we've got a lot to discuss.' Five begins to walk, Y/N places her hand on Diegos shoulder, giving it a soft squeeze. Diego is quick to grab it and hold it in place, his finger gently brushing against her knuckles. Her hand is warm in his grasp, soft as silk against his touch.

'Actually, I began to miss you, the minute you left..' Diego leant in, whispering, his voice hoarse. His eyes were yearning and tender. Y/N inhales sharply, as the hotness of his rough fingers sends her down the memory lane, she tried to suppress for the last two years. His voice was undeniably sexy, making it all the more difficult. Giving him a convicting look, Y/N pulls her hand away and shuffles towards Five, who already sat, crossing his arms. ________________________________________

Making themselves somewhat comfortable, Y/N waves for the waitress to come over. The woman drags her feet towards them, crossing her arms and leaning over the counter.

'Ready to order?' She asks nonchalantly.

'Yes, ma'am.' Y/N grins, continuously tapping her finger against the marble top. The waitress gives a small smile, pulling out a notepad and a pen out of her apron. 'We'd like three large coffees.' She raises three fingers at the, already bored, waitress.

'Mhm.'

'Black.' She confirms, winking at Five, who nods, pleased.

'Does your kid want a doughnut? Today's special is Peanut Butter.' Five scoffs at the waitresses words. Grinning Y/N continues, gaining an annoyed glare from Five.

'Excellent! We'll take two!' Y/N joyfully clasp her hands together.

'And the grumpy dad, over there?' The waitress raises her eyebrow, pointing the pen at Diego. He creases his eyebrows, shifting in his seat. Diego glances at his brother, who narrows his eyes waiting for him to answer.

'I-I'm not, he's not. He's my brother.' Diego begins to stutter, purely out of being lost for words. 'Just coffee.' He lifts one of his hand, pursing his lips together.

'Mhm, alright. I'll be right back.' The waitress taps her pen against the counter, before pushing it into her pocket and walking away, presumably towards a coffee machine.

'Sorry, that I.. Uh, didn't correct her.' Y/N begins, as her left hand fiddles with a napkin, she found nearby.

'It's fine.' Five waves his hand dismissively. 'Most people find a fifty-eight year old rather peculiar, when they look like this.' He points to himself, gaining a chuckle from Y/N.

'Hey..' Y/N creases her eyebrow, pointing at Five. 'Next time, just start off with that, I'm sure people will understand.' She grins, as Five crosses his arms, rolling his eyes.

'Okay, Y/N. Since you're here, care to explain what the hell we've got ourselves into?' Diego leant in, his tone more hush.

'Actually...' Y/N reciprocates, leaning in, Five seated in the middle, listening intently. 'Well, you've ended up in alternative timeline.' Y/N states the obvious. 'Too many mistakes been made. Too much has changed, therefore..' She waves around them. 'We're here.' Five purses his lips, in thought. 'Bad news is, this isn't the only timeline that was newly created.' Y/N frowns at her words. Five glances back to Y/N, raising his eyebrow.

'So what? Suddenly, the Commission can't handle it?' A bitter smirk appears on his face.

'Well..' Y/N voice trails, as if deciding how much she should tell. Diego picks up on her behaviour, leaning as close as he can, his eyebrows creased, as he's searching Y/Ns eyes. Y/N glances at him, biting her lip to stop herself from spilling everything. She hates that Diego has that effect on her; his gaze is concerning, yet genuine. He's worried, and to be fair, he should be.

'The Infinite Switchboard.' Y/N whispers, glancing around. 'Once these timelines started to pop up, the Switchboard started to glitch.' She frowns, as she grabs the napkin again, fumbling with it. 'We catch a glimpse of something,we don't know where, when and what it actually is.' Y/N tells. 'Overall, the Commission is pretty much in shambles.' Y/N eventually admits, kicking herself under the table. The information was confidential. Diego and Five exchange glances, before turning to Y/N.

'What do you mean?' Diego asks quietly, copying Y/Ns tone of voice.

'Herb is a great leader, but... He's lenient, too nice for what the Commission is used to.'

'The Operatives don't kill any more?' Five asks, squinting at Y/N.

'Well... We do.' Diego raises his eyebrows at Y/N admission. 'But only if the situation gets out of hand.' She shifts in her seat, looking around, as if someone might be listening. 'Herb doesn't believe that killing is the fairest option. And frankly, I couldn't agree more.' Y/N shrugs, continuing. 'You don't have to kill, if you can manipulate the situation itself. We talk people out. Depending on the individual, we appear as prophets, messengers, even angels. Or just someone who distracts them long enough, to avoid change.' Y/N glances at her watch; the same watch Five gave to her, something she holds of high importance, dear to her. Her eyebrows crease, as her eyes follow the long arrow, seconds ticking away.

'How long have you been at the Commission?' Five asks.

'Two years.' Y/N shrugs. 'Give or take.' Her gaze fixated on the watch; eyebrows creased, as if she's expecting something to happen.

'Whoah, whoah, whoah.' Diego shakes his head, trying to process everything Y/N has said. 'Let's rewind. This is an alternative timeline? How alternative are we talkin'?'

'The so-called Sparrow Academy was a nice surprise, huh?' Y/N raised her eyebrow, Five tutting besides her. 'We don't know much about how “different” this place is.' She uses air-quotes, as she continues. 'People and places you knew before, may or may not exist. People who are dead, may be alive, just like your father.' Y/N shifts in her seat, waving the ripped-up napkin.

Diego narrows his eyes at Y/Ns words. One particular name pops up in his mind, as a glint of hope appears, giving him a new purpose. Y/N glances at Five, sharing a concerned look. Y/N knew what Diego was thinking. The Commission has a file on every Hargreeves sibling, detailing everything each person has gone through; whether its Luthers trip to the moon, Diego failing Police Academy or Klaus being a Vietnam war veteran, by this point Y/N knew a lot more about them, than they thought. Of course, Y/N knew about Eudora Patch, too. A morally strict detective, probably Diegos first ever true love, tragically killed by the Commissions own.

'Before we do anything impulsive.' Y/N warns, glancing at Diego. 'We need to learn from what happened in Dallas, and make sure we don't screw up the timeline even more.' Y/N points an accusatory finger at Diego. He opens his mouth to argue, but is interrupted by the waitress, holding their coffees and a plate with two doughnuts.

'Here ya go.' She gives a small smile, placing their order in front of each of them. Placing the doughnuts in front Y/N, the waitress fixes her apron and shrugs. 'Ring a bell, if you're gonna need anything else.' Turning on her heel, she disappears into the personnel room.

'So no apocalypse this time around?' Five asks, taking a sip of his coffee. He scrunches his nose in displeasure; it's far from the coffee Y/N used to make.

'Nope.' Y/N shakes her head, shaking a packet of sugar, before pouring it into her coffee.

'Thank God...' Diego huffs under his breath.

'It's worse now.' Y/N admits. 'You're in someone else's yard. Sparrow Academys to be precise. So don't be surprised if they might be going after you. Unfortunately, they're not the only ones...' Y/N mutters into her cup, her glance shifting to her watch, yet again.

'Who else did we piss off?' Five raises his eyebrow, crunching his nose every time, he takes a sip.

'What about Lila, then? Is she after us? Is she okay?' Diego begins firing questions, much to Y/Ns displeasure. Y/N inadvertently rolls her eyes, talking into her mug

'Now that you've mentioned her. She's the reason, why our Switchboard is breaking down.' Y/N downs her coffee, slamming the cup against the marble top, making Diego flinch.

'What?' Diego whispers in disbelief,glancing away to avoid Y/Ns eyes.

'She's professionally trained by the Handler. With that briefcase, she's jumping into different events, messing the time up completely.' Y/N runs her hand through her pony tail, something she began doing when she feels frustrated. Twirling it between her fingers, she squeezes it tightly, her eyes narrowing at the memory.

'Herb insisted I find and stop Lila personally.' Y/N glances at Five. 'But I know I need to help you first. So you could help me.' Feeling Diegos averted gaze on her, Y/N looks down at the counter top.

'Here.' She pushes the doughnuts in front of Five. 'Eat.' Tapping at the plate, Y/N orders.

'Why?' Five creases his eyebrows, taking one of the doughnuts and inspecting it. 'I need you energized.' Y/N states.

'Energized? For what?' Five reluctantly takes a bite. Staring at her watch, Y/N bites her lip as if anticipating something.

'For this.' She states as the bell of the main door, dings behind them.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the new and original story! Yes, the first chapter is kind of introductionary and it does mean less y/n and Diego Hargreeves. There's a lot of dialogue, but I am trying to explain as much of the new plot as I can. Y/N is a Commission agent, but she does mean well. However doesn't mean she can't kick ass, something you'll see in the next chapter!
> 
> It has been a slow burn, however the tempo will change... Somewhat. There will be a bit of everything, so I hope you join me down this trip and it's gonna get bumpy and angsty, but you'll love it, I promise!
> 
> Hope you enjoy it! And if you want, tell me what you think!
> 
> Lots of love!


	14. Ballroom Blitz

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tensions rise as unexpected guests arrive at Griddy's. A fight ensues. There's a secret Y/N is holding, which she's reluctant to share. 
> 
> tw: blood, fighting, swearing

Sudden shift in the atmosphere, as about a dozen people entered the doughnut shop. Combat boots threateningly stomped across the tiles, as an intimidating shadow hovered over Five, Diego and Y/N. Y/N shoulders tensed up, but she refused to move. Looking down at her coffee cup, she grasped it tighter, her fingers going white. A frown grew on her face, as she wished she could avoid this confrontation all together. Noticing Y/N frown and sudden change in body language, Five and Diego shared a discerning look, turning on their stools to meet the newcomers.

There stood a group of men and women, dressed up in that familiar blue; only difference was, it wasn't formal suits. It was combat wear. Straps and belts covered their bodies, as different types of knives, explosives and pistols carpeted their uniforms. Faces covered, only eyes visible, narrowed smugly, suggesting they're not here for a hot beverage and a pastry. Hands hovering over their guns, their supposed leader steps forward. Squinting at the Hargreeves siblings, they release a bitter laugh.

'Well, look who it is.' A sharp masculine voice spits, stepping forward. 'Legendary Five, the boy who ditched the Commission for his stupid family.' They turn to Five, who narrows his eyes, raising his lip in revulsion. This man doesn't know _shit_. The leather on the person creaks as he takes another step, glancing at Diego, he scoffs.

'And the infamous Number Two.' The mans voice is demeaning, his eyes crinkling as he hides, yet another self-satisfied grin, behind his mask. 'Perhaps the only person, to fuck his way into the Commission.' Y/N and Diego exchanged awkward glances, something she wishes, they hadn't done. Gritting his teeth, Diego plunges from his seat, only for Five to grab him and pull him back mid-air, glaring at him, discouragingly. Exhaling sharply, Y/N finally turns around to face her treacherous colleagues.

'Julian.' Y/N addresses the man in front, putting on a poker face. 'Don't you have a shrine of the Handler to attend to?' Y/N shoots, nonchalantly spinning back. Julian lets out a hollow chuckle; something that sounds haunting, as his own shadow creeps up on Y/N.

'Don't you have a four-foot ass to kiss?' Julian deflects Y/Ns bitter comment. His confederates nod in agreement, their shoulders shaking, as they cackle like a clan of hungry hyenas. 'C'mon, Gussman. You're better than this.' Julian tilts his head, his tone much softer, yet leery. 'For once, take your nose out of Herbs ass and let's clip these guys.' He accusingly waves his hand towards Five and Diego, who crease their eyebrows, struggling to process current affairs. 'They're like tumours to time. The Handler knew what she was doing, and we need to finish what she started!' Julian points to the ground, as his tone becomes more serious, threatening even. He steps another step closer, as a quiet click of guns cocking comes from behind.

'One thing you could never do, Julian.-' Y/N clicks her tongue, unbuttoning her blazer and throwing it onto the counter. 'Is obey orders and do your fucking job.' Rolling her shoulders back, Y/N shifts in her seat, awaiting Julians next move. Diegos eyes shift lower at Y/Ns body; a similar, yet much smaller and simpler harness hugs around Y/Ns torso, clutching onto both shoulders. A Smith & Wesson model 39 hangs to her side; marks and scratches on the aluminium frame, suggests it has been used many times before. Glancing further, his eyes slightly widen at a familiar object, secured tightly against Y/Ns ribcage. One of his knives, the one Y/N insisted on keeping as a memory, a bitter memento, reminding her of that awful day, when she lost her beloved brother. Worse for wear, it was clear it has been sharpened far too many times; small patches of rust, suggest it has been covered in certain dampness, so many times, that even stainless steel began to rust. Five and Diego turn to the counter, all three sitting away from Julian and his associates.

'Care to explain what the hell is going on?' Diego purses his lip glancing at Five and Y/N.

'Remember when I've mentioned that the Commission is in shambles? These are the shambles.' Y/N nods her head behind her.

'I expect you've learn how to deal with them, Y/N.' Five finishes his coffee, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. He takes one last bite of the remaining doughnut, chewing it and gulping it down quickly.

'How's your energy levels?' Y/N bumps her shoulder against Fives. He fixes his hair, raising his eyebrow.

'Intermediate.' Five shrugs, creasing his eyebrows. 'Why?' 'Remember when we've teleported together?' Y/N ask, to which Five quickly nods.

'Well, I might need you to do a lot more of that soon.' Y/N mumbles, hand trailing towards her knife. Y/N stealthily pulls it out of the harness, moving it in front of her and holding it tightly, as her hands rest on the counter. A reflection of Julian is visible on the shiny, silver surface; he shifts in his place, as his own hand moves down to grasp a weapon. Diego leans in over Five glancing at the knife.

'You sure, you know how to use it?' Diego raises his eyebrow, slightly smirking.

'You have no idea.' Y/N whispered confidently, her grip tightening around the knife.

'Jeez, Gussman.' Julian interrupts, sighing. 'Haven't got all day. It's disappointing, really; you're just a big coward.' Julian warns for the last time, as him and his team begin to screw silencers onto their weapons. Making the gun click, he pulls it away from himself, towards Five, closing his one eye as if for better targeting. Y/N glances at Five, who reads her expression and nods in confirmation. Y/N twists her torso, her hand swiftly flicking the knife towards Julian. It wooshes through the air, gracefully spinning as it rushes past Julians cheek, and clanks besides one of his comrades. Julian turns around, everyone looking down, puzzled by the action. Diego huffs, turning at Y/N and raising his hands, squinting.

'What?' She leans past Five towards Diego, eyeing the knives strapped into his harness. 'I didn't say I was accurate!' She huffed at him before quickly snatching a knife out of it. Y/N gives it another go, the knife spinning as it lands past Julian again, this time plunging into a womans eye. The woman, nearest to Julian, lets out an animalistic shriek, clutching her face, as thick, red liquid seeps through and down her cheek.

A hush sound of bullets begin to echo in the shop, as a metallic and sulphuric smell fills the air. Seeing a wave of bullets heading towards the three of them, Five grabs Y/N and Diego by their collars, yanking them behind the counter. The three of them lie clumsily on the cold tiles, pressing themselves hard against them, their chests moving hastily.

'Okay, we haven't got much time. Diego, go after the waitress.' Y/N waves her hand towards the staff door, where the waitress supposedly went off.

'Y/N is right.' Five nods in agreement, exhaling heavily. 'We need her safe and distracted, before we attract the attention of local police.' He adds.

'Whoah, first of all, hell to the no.' Diego grunts, before they cover their heads as a new set of bullets crash through the doughnut shops interior. Pieces of tiling and drywall fall down onto them, covering them in white dust. 'I can take these guys out, easy. You two can go.' He whisper yells at Five and Y/N.

'For goodness sake, Diego.' Y/N slaps her forehead in frustration. 'Aren't you the one, who saves lives? Just go!' She yells, pulling his arm to leave. He stares her down for a moment, grabbing her hand and squeezing it tight.

'Fine.' He presses his lips together, before he begins moving towards the staff area. 'I'll take the girl to safety, and I'll come back to save your asses!' He yells after Five and Y/N, while crawling on all fours, out of the main area of the shop.

______________________________________

'You ready?' Y/N huffs, turning to Five. Her hand clasps his elbow; she nods encouragingly. Five purses his lips, listening to the noise behind the counter, his expression is contemplated, calculated. Finally, he looks back at Y/N nodding.

'Never done it like this.' Five admits, slowly getting up.

'There's a first time for anything.' Y/N smirks, following him up, her grasp still tight around Fives elbow. He clenches his fists, blue hue surrounds his hands, as the two of them appear behind the corrupted members of the Commission.

Y/N lifts her right leg, kicking one of the persons in the back, knocking them off their feet. They awkwardly fall, dropping their pistol. On her other side, Five jumps on the other mans back, twisting their hand, holding the weapon. He jerks the gun out of the mans grasp; jumping away from him, Five raises his hand, shooting the man in the chest. The man blandly collapses on his knees, before falling down completely, a pool of blood appearing beneath him. Y/N gasps, looking at her former colleague, who's embedded dead gaze stared straight in front of them. She knew them; working on a couple of missions together, they had a good heart, but were naïve, as hell. Y/N glared at Five, horror in her eyes.

'Oh I'm sorry. Would you like to be killed?' He waves his hand, before grabbing her by the harness. They flash again, as bullets begin to rain on the previous spot. As Five defends himself from two people, pouncing at him with knives, Y/N looks down, feeling her foot bump against something. She sighs in relief, finding her knife, which she embarrassingly threw at Julian. Y/N leans in to retrieve it; the second her fingers wrap around it, a tight hand lifts her up by the throat. It was Julian. Slamming her against one of the pillars, he rips his mask off, showing gritted teeth and sweat running down his face.

'You're such a fuck up, Y/N.' His grip tightens at Y/Ns throat, as she begins to choke, air gradually leaving her lungs. She feels her face turn pale, as a static sound hums in her ears. 'I'll enjoy killing you the most.' Julian hisses, his face inches away from Y/N. His icy blue eyes embedded into Y/N, taking a good look at her for the last time. He slams her against the pillar once more; her vision turning momentarily white. Y/N shuts her eyes, trying to regain focus, as she feels wet substance splashed on her face.

Suddenly, Julians fingers unclasp. Opening one eye, she looks at him; his eyes wide as blood leak through the side of his face. His mouth slightly agape, eyes rolling back, as his body slowly leans in into Y/N. Shifting her glance to her side, she sees Five lowering his arm, a gun in his hand, breathing heavily. He shakes his head at Y/N, grasping her by her shoulder for support. She pushes the collapsed body off of her, her upper lip raised in disgust.

Y/N knew Julian for most of the time, she worked at the Commission. He was one of the people, who worked much longer there; his smugness gave away that almost every day, as he would tell tales about various missions, his tone as arrogant as his twisted egotistical face. Julian admired the Handler, as a handful of other workers did, too. Hate to admit it, but the Handler had a certain, twisted passion about her job, something that a few at the Commission seemed to admire. Julian was probably one of the biggest fans; his head was so deep inside her ass, he could probably make her talk like a ventriloquist doll.

Five prepares for another jump, as a large woman stalks up towards Y/N and Five. She's at least a foot taller, broad shoulders, menacing shadow hovering over the both of them. Her hands are empty of any weapon, which makes her all the more threatening. The woman grabs Y/N by her harness, lifting her up with one hand, Y/Ns legs dangle in the air, her body struggling to escape, like a tiny kitten, unready for a good scolding. The womans head snaps towards Five, who tries to grab Y/N, to jump in a different spot. The woman raises her leg, kicking Five away; his body slides down the tiles, slamming against the nearest wall. She glances back to Y/N, giving a nasty grin before she throws Y/N the opposite direction. Her body slides down the tiles as well, this time, hitting the jukebox. It halts, before it starts playing 'Ballroom Blitz' by Sweet. Grunting, Y/N looks up

'Now you decide to work!'. She rubs the back of her head, groaning in pain. A tall figure leans over her, grabbing her again by her harness and pulling her up. She yelps at the impact, Y/Ns helplessly slapping her hands against the womans clenched fists. After a moment, Y/N grabs the woman by her hair, spinning her wrists to get a better hold. Clenching her jaw, she pulls herself towards her, slamming her own forehead to the womans nose. The woman grunts in pain, releasing Y/N out of her grasp. She holds onto her nose, which starts to bleed.

Rushing towards Five, Y/N slides on her knees, bumping against the wall. Five lies down, yet his eyes are open. The man has been a little shaken, but he's good. Sighing in relief, Y/N lifts him up, shaking him slightly to bring him back to now. He glances at Y/N, creasing his eyebrows.

'C'mon, Five! I need you.' She hisses to him, shaking his shoulders, vigorously. Luckily, his hands begin to shine the bright blue hue, as they jump on the other side of the doughnut shop.

'That's it, I'm all out. You gotta give me a minute.' Five leans in against the wall, trying to catch his breath. Slamming her fist against the tiles, Y/N rubs her hand across her auburn hair. Glancing behind her, she sees at least nine people, that she needs to take care off. She never killed that many in one go. Y/N hated it, hence why her and Herb got along so well. She knew there were tensions at the Commission, but she never thought that it'll lead to this. _Anything,_ but this. Y/N fixes Fives hair, whose slumped against the wall, his chest moving heavily, as he tries to get that short moment of rest.

Pulling herself off the floor, Y/N stands up facing the rest of the team; her hand hovers over her own gun, which she instantly pulls out of the harness. Clicking the safety off, she begins firing at the people in front; she misses a couple of shots, but succeeds at taking three people out. The three of them drop dead on the floor, as the rest get into the position to defend themselves. Noticing that the clip is empty, Y/N groans, shoving the gun back into her harness. Should've carried more than one clip, _idiot._

Holding her knife tightly, she lunges at one of the people. They lunge back, throwing their right fist out; ducking Y/N avoids it, only for the other hand to connect with her jaw. Taste of metal fills Y/Ns mouth, as she begins spitting blood. Her cheek goes bright red, her fingers momentarily grazing along the bruise. She lets out a sharp yell, as her hand lunges at the persons stomach. Twisting the knife in both directions, Y/N pulls out, as the person clutches to her; blood begins to seep out of their mouth, they slowly collapse on the floor.

Looking around she sees that Diego has returned. He gives Y/N a shocked and worried glance, before he sends one of his knives at the remaining six. It hits one of the people straight in the head. _Bullseye._ Grinning a bloody grin, Y/N nods at Diego, as she lunges towards her next victim. Dodging yet another punch, Y/N has learnt her lesson, pulling away just in time for the other fist to come close to her face. She grabs the womans hand, twisting it behind her; pulling it upwards, Y/N hears a crack and a shriek, as she breaks the womans arm.

Spinning the knife between her fingers, Y/N grabs the woman by her hair, pulling back, and slides her knife across the womans throat. A bloody waterfall begins to pool underneath their legs, as the woman becomes lose in Y/Ns hands. Picking Diegos knife off a mans dead body, she throws it back to him, which he gracefully catches. There's only three people left. Five flashes himself in front of Y/N, rolling his shoulders and fixing his hair. He smirks at Y/N, as he then glances at the remaining people.

'Three? That's manageable.' Rolling his shoulders, Five reaches for Y/N arm, which she quickly pulls away. Pointing her finger at Five, she creases her eyebrows.

'No more of that. You're exhausted as it is.' Y/N scolds Five, flipping her knife between her fingers. Five rolls his eyes, jumping towards Diego; they both get in a stance, as the two of the remaining, saunter towards them. That leaves Y/N and the tall, athletic woman.

The woman presents Y/N with a bloody set of teeth and a bloody face, wiping it messily with her sleeve. She crouches as if ready to pounce. Y/N gulps taking a step back; she fought different types of people, but she knew that this agent was skilled and her size and strength made her all the more powerful and dangerous. If she knew better, she would believe this woman had super powers. A great match for Luther, but not to her. Grabbing a hold of her knife, Y/N spread her feet for stability, ready for whatever the woman had in store.

Growling she darted towards Y/N; her left fist flew towards Y/Ns nose, which Y/N did not expect. As Y/N leant back from the impact, she glanced at Diego and Five; the people they had to deal were knocked down, but still conscious. Looking down at the womans belt, Y/N had an idea. Still clutching to her face, she pushed against the woman. Time became slow. Pulling herself up, she took another blow to her face, sweat and blood splashing out. She collapsed onto the woman, grasping onto her belt. Spitting blood, she rested her head against the womans hip.

Groaning in disgust, the woman grabs Y/N by her ponytail, pulling her upwards. She grins yet another bloody grin, spitting her own blood to the side. She shakes Y/N by her ponytail, as if to assert dominance. Y/N smirks, when suddenly she raises her both hands and slaps the tall woman across her ears. The woman quickly releases, holding onto her ears as a static noise begins to irritatingly buzz inside her head.

Using the distraction, Y/N turns around, her eyes searching for Five and Diego. She inhales sharply, as she begins to hastily run towards the two men. Her chest is burning and her eyes wide, as she catches their attention. Once Y/N got close, she grabs Five by his blazer and Diego by his harness, which she's proudly made. She pushes them towards the counter, collapsing behind it. Huffing, Diego gives a puzzled look, since there's three people awaiting behind.

Giving a bloody smile, Y/N opens her mouth; blood and saliva mixed in, she sticks her tongue out. A tiny grenade ring is placed in the middle of it; she gives a cheeky wink, before grabbing Five and Diego and pulling them against her chest. Five wraps his arms around Diego and Y/Ns, whilst Diego raises his hands to cover the other twos heads. The three of them wrapped in their securing embraces; a solid team, of people who would do anything to protect the other. The three of them squeezed tight, closing their eyes shut as a loud bang came up from the other side of the counter. Pieces of debris and dust cover them,and everything turns silent.

After some time, Y/N eventually raises her head, opening her left eye. She pauses to listen for any sound, but hears nothing but calm. Diego and Five leaning against her chest, she taps them both to rise up. Resting her head against the counter, she exhales deeply.

'Fucking hell.' Is all Y/N could mutter.

_______________________________________

Grabbing her blue blazer, which was covered in dust, Y/N pushed Five and Diego out of the building. Swiftly placing the blazer on her shoulders, she feels a gentle tap on her arm. Five, holding her briefcase, gives her a stern look, as if scolding her with his eyes alone. Returning a sheepish smile, Y/N gingerly takes the briefcase out of Fives grasp.

'I knew I forgot something.' Y/N grins embarrassingly. Y/N glances around the surroundings, analysing any possible dangers. The waitress is now gone, its still silent, no police sirens or any other unexpected guests. Brushing and patting the dust off of her blazer she gives Five a careful look; covered in blood, just as much as she was, dust neatly lay on his dark hair, his blazer and the rest of the uniform printed in tiny splashes of blood and dry wall.

Tilting her head, Y/N moves her right hand into her inside pocket; she grins when she finds a handkerchief, which she retrieves and hands to Five. He wipes his face, as well as patches of blood on his uniform, which are too stubborn to come out. Y/N ruffles Fives hair to get the dust out; he doesn't receive it well at first, but eventually gives her a gratuitous pressed smile. Five wasn't used to such care and attention; something he knew Y/N was all about. He doesn't mind it, though; he had Dolores, who he would handle and care for, for 40 years. Y/N touches were careful, though. They weren't too pushy, and she always gave him a choice or an encouragement, that all she means is good.

'Hey, you..' Y/N felt Diegos quiet whisper behind her, as his hot breath brushed against her bruised neck, sending shivers down her body. God, she hated that she loved it. Turning around she gave him an anxious gaze. Turning Y/N around by her waist, he rose his hands to Y/Ns face, gently cupping them, eyeing her curiously and inspecting her injuries. His gaze is very soft and gentle, his chocolate brown eyes seem as sweet as any desert out there. Something Y/N wanted to immerse herself into, but something she tried to forget for the last two years. Why is this so _hard_? She closely observed his face; perfect, flawless. The caramel skin looked amazing up close, like something delicious, she'd lick off of his face, if she could. The dark wavy hair fell on his face, framing it ideally. The same hair that Y/N would fix, the same hair Y/N wanted to stroke and pull, if she ever had a chance. And she wanted that so much... But that was two years ago.

'Knife skills need more perfecting. But other than that, you were pretty good.' Diego grins at Y/N, his thumbs moving up and down her cheeks. Y/N slowly moves her hands up, clasping his to peel them off of her face. It was all too much. Working at the Commission gave her a lot of time to think about Diego, to think about _them_ ; she realised, that she became obsessed, which seemed all too unhealthy, and reminded her of a certain ex-Commission operative. Y/N did all she could, to forget Diego, something that she did not quite succeeded at. Especially, now, standing in front of him, their hands clasped together, as they stare into each others eyes.

Y/N suppresses a frown, raising his hands to the sides. Mistaking it for something else, Diego pulls his hands away and brings Y/N into a tight embrace. That musky smell of sweat, that Y/N remembers all too well; intoxicating and exhilarating, she'd collapse in his hands, if it wasn't for the adrenaline rush, she experienced moments ago. Being back in his embrace felt amazing; like the most comfortable blanket. Enveloping, warm and gentle. Y/N exhaled sharply into Diegos hair, finally relaxing in his arms. His beard tickled Y/Ns neck. She leant her face against his, chuckling, to stop him.

'Next time, I'm not leaving your side. Got it?' Diego murmurs into her neck. Y/N rolls her eyes feeling him smirk, against her skin. She glances at Five, whose been staring at them; his eyes were narrowed, mouth twisted. Like he knew something wasn't right. He averted his gaze, once Y/N caught him looking. Five looked concerned. He has too much experience and he's too smart for any antics. Damn Five, and his intelligence!

A bitter taste of guilt fills Y/Ns mouth; if only she could be blunt and truthful about her time at the Commission. But not now, and probably never. Reluctantly, she releases Diego and pushes him away, gaining a disappointed frown from him.

'We need to get outta here.' Y/N breathes, looking around.

'Where, though? We've been kicked out of our home.' Diego crosses his arms, thought of the previous conversation with Reginald still haunting his mind. He wasn't sure what bothered him more; seeing Ben, whose completely changed, or seeing Reginald, actually proud of his new family.

'Actually..' Y/N begins searching in her pockets, her eyebrows creased in concentration. 'Ah!' She pulls out a set of keys, carelessly jiggling in her hand. She waves them in front of Diego and Five, eventually handing them to Diego. 'We've got a motel to stay in. It's not the house you're used to, but hey, it's better than sleeping outside, right?' Y/N shrugs.

Hearing some rustling, she lifts her eyes up, to an electricity pole; her eyes grow wider, mouth slightly open as she sees three crows, looking down. One of them caws, before the three of them flap their wings and fly away. Swallowing hard, she glances at Five, who gives her a confused look.

'Diego, meet the rest. And me and Five will meet you there in an hour.' Y/N orders.

'What? Again? Since when are you giving orders around here?' Diego furrowed his eyebrows.

'The letter was addressed to Five. I need to talk to him in private.' Y/N replies, giving Diego an apologetic look. 'The Commission does not appreciate, when we break the rules.' She stated. Five twisted his face giving an I-told-you-so smirk to Diego, who rolled his eyes, attempting to ignore Fives embedded glare. 'Fine..' Diego eventually gives up, throwing his hands to his sides.

'I'll see you in an hour. Don't be late.' He tries to order back, walking backwards and pointing at them two, before he reluctantly turns around and begins to rush to his siblings. Glancing back at Five, Y/N hurriedly taps his shoulder to follow her, as she begins to stride herself, increasing her pace, with every step. Five fixes his blazer, taking a short jog to catch up.

'Why the sudden rush?' He raises his eyebrow.

'We need to get out of here. I think, we're being watched.'

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! A lot of fighting, huh?
> 
> Also, if any of you read the comics, the crows should be a pretty obvious hint.   
> What secret is Y/N holding, hmm?
> 
> Again, hope you, guys, enjoy it! Comment your opinions, suggestions or some advice on improving the story. All of this is appreciated!  
> <3
> 
> <3


	15. Because I'm Happy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the fight, Five and Y/N discuss Commission. Diego is set on his own mission. After being scolded by Five, Y/N begins to let her guards down, and her and Diego share a tender moment. 
> 
> tw; swearing

'So? No apocalypse this time?' Five raises his eyebrows, shuffling after Y/N, his hands deep in his pockets, lips pursed in concentration.

Y/N heard a hint of sarcasm in his voice, making her roll her eyes inadvertently. If her answer would be positive, Five would just about give up, and meet his maker. The man was exhausted in all ways possible; he felt burned out, his body was close to giving up, due to the fact that coffee isn't a great substitute for food. His hair was somewhat messy from the fight before; speckle of dots decorated his dark hair, refusing to fall away. Five had bigger bags under his eyes, than body bags, the Commission uses as a 'removal service'.

The gears in his head were spinning relentlessly, as if the engine, he refers to his brain, heats up, eventually breaking down to pieces. What then? Despite the incredulous amount of love for his family, he's learnt more times, than one, to trust his own instinct and his own only. Y/N walking by his side, didn't make a difference, either.

She's helped, and been there for him, as well as his family. Y/N is in the Commission now; something Five had a lot of experience with, and unfortunately, not the good kind. Y/N seemed, like she means well. But she doubts herself, has moral dilemmas and overall hasn't got much experience in fighting. Maybe because she had a decent family, who didn't force her to fight criminals and crooks since age Ten.

In this moment, the two of them are more like Xena and Gabrielle, or Batman and Robin. The only difference that Five, would be a higher end version of the latter. However, Five needed a fresh face, a fresh opinion and Y/N was exactly the person for it. With his remarkable experience as a fighter, survivalist and strategist, he is able to teach Y/N, turning her into a decent agent. Her empathetic side helps him see things from a more morally correct stand point, and her unwillingness to kill is something he could analyse, observe and perhaps apply to himself. Only if it were that easy, though. A pebble bounced off of Y/Ns combat boots, which were covered in sticky, bloody mass.

'Apocalypse? God, I hope not.' She snorts to herself, almost too dramatically. 'The Commission has given me a task to find you, and fix the timeline.' Y/N begins explaining, slowing her pace down. Her eyes glance to the side, eyeing the surroundings carefully, as if someone might be listening.

'We're not helping you per se. We are helping ourselves.' She waves her hand nonchalantly. Five narrows his eyes, slowly nodding, as he processes Y/Ns words.

'The Infinite Switchboard is showing us whatever it fucking wants. It took me two years to find you. Two years, Five.' She held her two fingers, raising them in front of Five. She frowned, remembering the struggles she went through, and what she had to experience in the different timelines, she was looking for the siblings. She saw a hit of yet another apocalypse, something she's withholding from Five. Y/N saw Diego and Lila together, as a Bonnie and Clyde-esque duo; Lila succeeding at turning him to her side, creating a very dangerous pair, invincible, destructive and a huge threat to the Commission. She saw a timeline where she was an old woman in 2019, reminiscing her successes and achievements with her loved ones, her family and grandchildren, whilst they're saying their goodbyes and her slowly, yet gracefully drifting to an eternal sleep.

Y/N has gone through hundreds of timelines, and not a single one showed a happy ending, _she_ thought, she deserved. There was no future for her and Diego, and as weeks, months began to pass, her constantly failure to find them sent her to a depressive spiral. A mix of fear of failure, love and desperation made her rethink her choices, priorities, moulding her into a more agile woman. Or so she thought.

'I never thought the Commission would have such problems.' Five shrugged, confused. 'The Switchboard suppose to be a fool-proof machine, a foundation of the Commission.' He shakes his head, huffing loose strands of hair away from his face.

'You see Five.-' Y/N nods for him to turn as they approach a department store. Five glances at the place, but pays no attention, as the conversation at hand is more important. 'The Commission looks after one timeline, the “main” one.' She uses air-quotes. 'It's easier to monitor it and maintain it. The Switchboard picks up anomalies much quicker, thus they are precise.' She's explaining the obvious, as Five starts to get agitated.

'Get to the point, Y/N. Haven't got all day.' His tone is pointed.

'You're one of the reasons everything has gone to shit, Five!' Y/N raises her hands in the air, huffing in frustration herself. 'You're not suppose to be here. The changes you've done in the past, landed you here.' She points to Five, making him twist his mouth. 'All of you did something reckless, causing a complete shit storm, that we have to deal with now.' Y/N begins pulling on her ponytail, twisting it between her fingers, pressing hard. She began to feel anxious, as her palms became sweaty and her breath became more haste.

'That's why the Commission is divided!' She reluctantly admits. 'They view your family as a pain in their backside for so many times, that most of the agents there began to despise you, all of you.'

'What? I thought with the Handler dead-' Five tried to decipher the situation, to no avail.

'No, Five! That's the thing. You've heard Julian. After what happened at the Commission, everyone became desperate. And just like in politics, during difficult times, people make awful decisions.' Y/N licks her lips, feeling her mouth increasingly become dry.

'When push comes to shove, the Operatives have one task, which they'll do anything to complete. They need to protect and serve the timeline. And who can be the biggest suspects in this whole fiasco? If not the family of six, who have went against the Commissions orders twice.'

'So what? We're the bad guys now? Because we wanted to stop the apocalypse, and bring ourselves to the right timeline?' Five spewed, Y/N vigorously shakes her head at Fives words.

'Yes and no. Herb, sees the situation favourably, perhaps his man-crush on Diego, is what motivates him to go against the rest of the Commission.' Y/N attempts to chuckle, but Fives twisted face makes her stop midway.

'You're not the only suspects. If that makes it any better.'

'It doesn't.' Five shoots back, gritting his teeth. 'I can't believe it.' He pulls his hands out of his pockets, clenching his fists tightly.

'Well..' Y/N decides to continue anyway. 'Lila has a briefcase, and knowing her skills and knowledge of the Commission, it is most likely that she's at fault, too. Perhaps even more.' Y/N sighs. She does not want to think of that woman, or talk about her. It should be easier, after all this time, but Diegos 'I still love her' words echoed in her mind, like poisonous vines, entangling with every self-doubt, depressive and anxious thought she has.

'So she can be creating these new timelines?' Five suggests, scratching his chin.

'Most likely. She could do it out of rage, spite, revenge. Whatever, that woman is unstable.' Y/N purses her lips. Five glances at Y/N, creasing his eyebrows.

'Do you think?-' Before he can finish, Y/N interrupts.

'We don't know. If the Handler was somehow brought back to life, I think she would've made some sort of a grand entrance by now.'

'You don't know the Handler like I do.' Five scoffs, his fingers relax, but quickly scuttle back to his pockets. 'She's smart, calculated. She's as good as being at the centre of attention, as well as working in the background. It would make sense, to why the Commission is so divided right now.' Y/N knew Five well enough by now. His gears were turning uncontrollably, with each new information Y/N given him. She could pretty much see steam coming out of his ears, as his brain went into an overdrive.

'But it wouldn't make sense though. Lila should despise the Handler.' He creases his eyebrows.

'Perhaps. Diego hates Reginald, but still calls him dad' Y/N glances at Five, who ponders for a moment, eventually nodding in agreement. The automatic doors swish to the sides, as the two of them enter the store.

'Well, we don't know much, yet. Hence why I am here, talking to you.' They shuffle across lines of clothing, with Y/N occasionally giving a piece of different fabrics a feel. Different shades and types of denim, feel rough against her fingers. But silky scarves feels like bliss against her touch; smooth and soft.

'I need you to help me catch Lila, before she does any more damage. But first we need to pin point exact moments, that could've triggered this situation, perhaps we need to return to the 1960s and correct all the mistakes.'

'Sounds reasonable.' Five shrugs. 'Can I ask you something?' Five tilts his head, eyeing Y/N curiously. 'Something personal.' He quickly adds.

'Shoot.' Y/N shrugs, casually dragging her feet across the isles of the store.

'Why the sudden awkwardness with Diego?' Y/N frowns, averting her gaze to different clothes. She feels her heartbeat increase, because she knew that she cannot escape Fives critical stare.

'I, uh..'She started to stammer, searching for the whitest lie, she could use. She hated lying, especially to someone like Five, or Diego. Y/N knew what it felt like and how much deceit hurt them in the past, especially Diego. Having survived Lilas lies and manipulation, the last thing Y/N would do, is the exact same thing.

'It's been two years.' She tries stating an obvious fact, which didn't fool Five, not one bit.

'So?' He rolls his eyes. 'He cares for you, Y/N.' Five gaze softens as a small frown appears on his face. 'He loves you, and all you give him is a shitty hug and a cold shoulder, after not seeing him for two years?.' Y/N groans at his words, rubbing her face with her hand.

'Hey, he never said it. In fact, he said that about Lila.' She shoots back sharply, feeling her own shoulders tense up. It's not what she came here to talk about.

'Look, Five-' She stops herself, pressing her fingers into the bridge of her nose. Letting out a sharp breath, she gives Five a defeated look. 'I know this shouldn't bother me. But it does. And it did for the two years I didn't see him.. Let's not talk about it, since we're here on a different purpose.' Five stares Y/N down, narrowing his eyes. They stare at each other for a moment, before he slumps his shoulders.

'Fine.' He huffs, crossing his arms. 'It's none of my business.' Y/N raises her free hand, clasping Fives shoulder, she gives him a small smile and a gentle squeeze.

'Thank you.' She whispers appreciatively. She halts in her steps, turning to Five again. Her gaze is soft, empathetic and generally caring; her hand still on his shoulder, she waves her head towards a set of mannequins, displayed with current seasonal clothings. Five opens his mouth, completely dumbfounded when a longingly familiar figure, dressed in a floral top, stood in front of him, a fixated smile and a face he liked looking at, whilst he was stuck in an apocalypse.

'She'll stay here, not to change the timeline further... But I wanted to show you that she's safe and sound.' Y/N hums, grinning in pleasure, seeing Five pretty much melt at the view.

'Dolores? You're alright..' He whispers to himself.

______________________________________________

'I'll leave you two alone.' Y/N gave a soft, pressed smile, before turning on her heel and walking away. Five did not say anything, nor question her leaving. 'You know where the rest will be.' Y/N quickly added, raising her hand and waving it carelessly. Five turned around, seeing her leave. He eventually nods to himself, his gaze fixated back on Dolores. Oh, it's _so_ good to see her.

Y/N hears the door swoosh behind her, as it closes; she begins walking towards the motel, where she expects the rest of the Hargreeves to be. She glances at her watch, seeing the time tick away. Y/N never expected herself to be in this position, a complete first. She knew well enough, that perhaps she wasn't ready for it. She had plenty of training, sure, but it wasn't anything like that. Fighting your own colleagues? Alternative timelines? _Ugh._

Dragging her feet lazily across the pavement, she decided to take a longer route. No matter how many times she's been in New York, each time it was completely different; a new timeline, a different decade, it was all a great experience for Y/N. She had 50 years of catching up to do, and she did her best to succeed at it. Hell, she even kept a little notebook in her inside pocket, filled with information, questions and references, that she did not understood, but was applicable to the time she was in. It was something she didn't want to share with others, but something she held dear.

Her eyes search for the nearest telephone booth; a call is needed to be made, to make sure Griddy's look squeaky clean. Y/N finds one close to the police station. A bit ironic isn't it? There's still no sound of police sirens, suggesting that the waitress didn't come back, and no one has entered the premises yet. Glancing around, she reaches for the telephone, throwing in a couple of quarters in. Y/N dials a number, longer than usual, waiting for someone to answer. She exhales sharply when Dot answers on the other side of the phone.

'Oh, Dot! Thank, God. We have a situation.' She swallows. 'The coordinates are the same, location; Griddy's Doughnuts.' She pulls away from the phone, giving a look at her surroundings once more. She hears a soft gasp on the other side, as Dot is writing down the information. Y/N eyes stop to the opposite of the police station; ten yards away, to the other side; it was Diego. He didn't move, nor did he try to make it casual. Just standing there, waiting, hesitating. Even from such distance Y/N could see and recognise those conflicting features.

'Dot, the casualties are our own agents. Sort it out ASAP.' She hangs up, without hearing the other side. Y/N jogs to the opposite side of the road, to go unnoticed. Glancing down, she sees a couple of messy stains on her white shirt; it wasn't as suggestive, but could raise a couple of questions, if you're loitering around a police station. Y/N tries to cover it, by buttoning her blazer, which only covers a minimal amount. It's New York, though; usually people don't bat an eyelid, let's hope it doesn't bring attention this time.

'Last time you stalked someone, you got put into a mental hospital.' Y/N tries to give a teasing smirk, but what the poor man, had to suffer for two months, was somewhat awful. Her words startle Diego, who quickly turns around, grasping the nearest knife left on his harness.

'Relax. It's me.' Y/N hold her hand, clasping Diegos to stop. Remembering Fives words, she had to admit, that she did act like an ass hole. No matter how challenging it might be, she has to look after and care for Diego, despite her own conflicting feelings. She pulls his hand away from the harness, taking it fully into hers, intertwining their fingers.

'Y/N! You know, you shouldn't sneak up on me like that.' Diego warns, but his hand gives hers a gentle squeeze.

'Diego, why are you here?' She creases her eyebrow, knowing the answer. Diego looks up at her once over, his gaze then darts to the side, lips slightly shaking, as he's trying to think of an answer.

'I-I..W-well..' He begins to stutter, as his face turns a light shade of pink.

'Detective Eudora Patch.' Y/N states, glancing at him, to see his reaction. 'Well, now she's Captain Eudora Patch.' Diegos head snaps back, glaring at Y/N. He feels his mouth become dry; his heart skips a beat, every time he hears Eudoras name. It always reminds him of the time he couldn't be there for his close friend, and how he lost her. The taste of blame still sits sour in his mouth.

'How... How do you know?' Diegos voice is soft and low, a whisper that is only loud enough for her to hear. Seeing Diego all tense and anxious, made Y/N feel uncomfortable herself. She read his file, she knows everything that happened, and seeing him like that broke her heart into a million pieces. A man of such big heart, of such strong emotions and moral compass shouldn't be suffering from so much pain; his awful childhood, a desperate need to be a hero, no thanks to his father. A strong romance turned friendship ripped away from him, as well as an abrupt, yet strong emotional bond with someone, who ended up betraying him and using him. Sure, not to _her_ own benefit, but still. Unconsciously, Y/Ns hand began slithering up his arm, entangling hers and resting her chin on his shoulder. They both sigh.

'The Commission has files on pretty much anyone.' Y/N confesses. 'Don't you think we look a little too suspicious, standing here and pretty much stalking the captain of this precinct?' Y/N mumbles, raising her eyebrow. Her chin presses harder into Diegos shoulder, as she speaks.

'I just wanna know she's okay..' He whispers back, softly resting his head against Y/Ns.

'Tell me something about her.' Y/N asks, raising her face to look at Diego. He purses his lips, looking down he hesitates for a moment.

'She believed in people.' He sighed, his eyes fixating back on the police station entrance. 'No matter how much shit and filth she saw on the streets. She always saw the good inside.' Diego frowned, his hand searched for Y/Ns, wrapping it and squeezing it tightly.

'Hey it's okay..' Y/N whispered, giving him a reassuring squeeze. 'She sounds great.' Y/N grins.

'Yeah, she is.' Diego smiles back, turning his face as much as he can, he presses his lips against Y/Ns forehead. His slightly chapped lips feel rough, yet warm against her skin. It's been a while, since his lips touched her, and realised how much she missed it. So simple, yet so magical. Y/N closed her eyes, sighing in pleasure. They stay like this for a moment, before she shifts in her spot.

'Where's the rest of the family?' Y/N pulls away; their fingers still intertwined.

'Gave 'em the keys, sent 'em to the motel.' Diego answered casually.

'Oh, that's good.' Y/N nodded. She shifts in her spot once again, glancing at her watch.

'Maybe we should go, too. We need to meet the rest of the family.' Y/N gently urges Diego, softly tugging his hand as an encouragement. He looks down at his feet and then back up at Y/N; she can see he's reluctant to go, not until he sees Eudora and knows she's okay. But Y/Ns has a job, she needs to do and stalking a woman, who doesn't know either of them is, unfortunately, a waste of time. Diego bites his lip, contemplating his decision.

'C'mon, Diego..' Y/N gives him a soft smile, pulling him by his shoulders, so he could face Y/N fully. She raises her hands up to his shoulders, giving them a comforting squeeze. 'We can think of some way to see how she is doing later. But be less suspicious about it. I'm certain there are ways.' She softly shakes him by his shoulders, as an encouragement.

'Please..Let's go' Y/N pleads, creasing her eyebrows. Her eyes embedded into his, something he realised he couldn't fight against. That gaze, whatever the emotion, seemed to disarm him at all times. Something, he realised, he began to love so much. Slumping his shoulders, he sighs in defeat, as his forehead softly bumps against Y/Ns. Their noses brush, like they did back in Dallas; a similar moment, they've experienced right before he got verbally decimated by his father. Diego smiles to himself, when he remembers the first quick peck Y/N gave him, leaving him slightly flushed and shocked at the action.

'Yeah, let's go.' Diego mutters, pulling away. Just as they turn on their heels, to walk towards the motel, Diego hears a voice, he hasn't heard in months. A voice he didn't expect to hear, not after what happened. He halts in his steps, turning quickly around, pulling Y/N with him.

'Hey! What-' Y/N starts to talk, creasing her eyebrows in confusion. Diego presses his index finger to her lips, to quiet down. His eyes move back to the noise, Y/Ns gaze follows. In the distance, the two of them see a figure, similar height to Y/N, with hair neatly brushed and put into a bun, her suit looked well maintained and fitted her body perfectly. An aura of authority seemed to shine through, her back straight, hands in her blazer, as it seemed she was waiting for someone to arrive. Eudora was a beautiful woman; a stern look, but soft features all together. Y/N quietly gasped at her sight. Her appearance along with how Diego described her, made perfect sense. Seeing Eudora not far from Y/N, she frowned, knowing that where they all belong, she's no longer alive.

Diegos lip begins to quiver, his eyes turning glossy as glass; it almost looked like he was ready to break down. He couldn't believe is own eyes. Diego took a careful step forward, only for Y/N to pull him back.

'Diego...' She warned him softly. A car approaches Eudora; once the car stops, a young boy, around the age of four, bolts out of the car and into Eudoras arms. She grins the biggest grin, wrapping the child and giving them a peck on the cheek. Another woman steps out of the car, laughing at the view in front of her. A dark-skinned tall lady, with big beautiful curls, sculpted features, like a model straight out of a magazine. She wore a long dress, but it was beautifully pressed against her skin. The taller woman walked up to Eudora, giving her soft kiss on the lips, as she takes the boy into her own arms.

'No shit..' Diego breathes, narrowing his eyes. He chuckles to himself, giving Y/N a surprised look.

'It looks, that's she's doing pretty damn good, if you ask me.' Y/N chuckles back, giving the three of them another glance.

'I.. I mean, I should've guessed. I should've known..' Diego begins to stammer, to which Y/N lightly laughs.

'Love is love, Diego..' Her voice turns quiet, as her smile seems to fade out.

'Love is love..' Diego repeats, glancing back to Y/N. He pauses giving her a soft look, longing and serene.

'Come on, big man. We've seen enough.' Y/N clasps his shoulder, turning around to walk. Diego reciprocates, turning on his heel. He catches up, wrapping his hand around Y/Ns shoulder. He pulls her closer, to give her another peck on the forehead, a smile fixed on his face.

'So, Diego..' Y/N smirks. 'How do you feel? Better?' She raises her head to meet his eyes. He smiles once again, biting his lip. Finally, he got his closure. A happy ending for Patch; not the one he intended years ago, but one he's more than delighted to see. Seeing her happy, successful and with a family, was all that he needed to make his day. What made it better, was that Y/N was by his side, finally warming up to him, like she did before they left Dallas. Despite, what is actually happening to him and his family, Diego had one of those rare feelings, he's not used to having.

'How do I feel?' He smirks at Y/N, giving her his special wink. 'I feel happy.' Diego sighs and they both stroll towards the motel, to meet the rest of the family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Perhaps not all like action based chapters, so I went back to a more gentle one. However, the previous chapter is one of my favourite, but each to their own, huh??
> 
> Y/N has a secret, that she's unwilling to share. But I think there's a sweet moment between her and Five, and her and Diego. I love Eudora Patch, so I wanted a happy ending for her, at least in the timeline they are in. Also she has a wife! Who knew? She's giving me those bisexual vibes, that I love. Therefore ta-dah! Diego has his closure (well, somewhat). I'd like to think it was a sweet chapter, also a bit shorter than usual. Also, aww?? Happy Diego! We needed a happy Diego! Too bad it won't last long! (Whoops)
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy it! There's plenty from where this came from! Expect, action, drama and plot twists!
> 
> Toodles!


	16. Greek Gods and Needles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Y/N is finally reunited with the Hargreeves siblings. However, before it, her and Diego share a passionate moment, that they anticipated for a while time. They are rudely interrupted, but Y/N is eager to introduce them to important information, as they start to plan their return to their timeline. 
> 
> TW; implied sexual activity, swearing.

Ah, bliss. Y/N was almost humming to herself, as she looked down to see a pair of combat boots moving in sync with hers. A firm grasp around her shoulder gives her a sense of security, something she hasn't felt in quite some time. A reassurance, comfort and unlimited warmth emitted from a man next to her, who gave her a sly smirk, every time their eyes met. A confident squeeze on the shoulders and an occasional peck on the forehead, reminded Y/N how much she actually missed and deeply loved Diego.

No matter how much Y/N tried to convince herself to move on, to get over, it kept failing her over and over again. Looking up at that stupidly adorable face, made Y/N chuckle. Shaking her head, she looked away, biting her lip, painfully enough to suppress her laughter.

'What?' Diego quipped, raising an eyebrow. He looked confused and amused at the same time. If he had a choice, Diego would rather stab himself in the eye, than talk about his emotions. Admitting that he felt happy, almost made him cringe at how overly sweet it might've came out. Therefore, he repeated what Y/N did, and bit his lip, suppressing the urge to pour his heart out, there and then.

Sure, if he would've done it, it would've been so random and unexpected. But perhaps it would've felt _right_? Glancing at her again, awaiting an answer, he couldn't help himself, but smile. To him she was gorgeous; inside and out. As much as she can be serious, strong and sensible, Y/N can turn into an almost childlike individual. And that is not a bad thing. Diego needs a person like that by his side. Someone who can pull him into a fantasy of being fun, careless with a dash of silly. Her need to dance, every time she feels a little down, how she smiles warmly when she speaks words of encouragement.

Diego gently shakes Y/N by her shoulder, encouraging her to answer. His eyes softened, as Y/Ns eyes met his once again.

'Happiness is contagious, I guess.' Y/N admits, sheepishly staring down at her feet.

Its as if the time has stopped, just for the two of them. Every challenge they have in front of them, and every challenge they've fought through in the past, seemed to disappear into the background. In this moment, nothing mattered. A dark silhouette of Lila seemed to slowly wane from Y/Ns mind; like a heavy stone, that was pressed against her heart for a little too long, rolling away.

Y/N inhaled sharply, as if restarting herself. Her hand moved up Diegos back, moving in small circles, as her body pressed against his even more. A flame, that was never completely put out, seemed to burn, brighter than ever. Five was right. She needs to accept and embrace Diego, because she's not fooling anyone. Not even herself.

__________________________________________

It didn't take long for the two of them to reach their destination, a typically sleazy, cheap hotel. The sign 'Motel' flickered, showing barely any sign of life, as the letters 'M' and 'O', were completely out. The pastel colours, that were fading even more away seemed charming to Y/N. The exterior of the place has possibly not changed, since it was first opened, presumably in the late Sixties. It would be weird to admit it, but despite its somewhat disturbing look, it was comforting for Y/N.

Despite, being able to travel in time, and experience all the novelties, Y/N was still used to her own time, especially when the Commission was based in the Fifties. Modern times excited her, as much as they scared her. Therefore, a slight glimpse into the day dream of her and Diego finally being together in his time, does sound kind of challenging. But this wasn't time to think about the future. She needs to enjoy the _now._

And that's exactly what she did. Perhaps for the first time, Diego and Y/N finally got to talk about, well, anything. The simple things; likes and dislikes. She told him her favourite foods, which were mostly foreign, thanks to Dot introducing her to them. Y/N even opened up about being scared of heights, to which, hesitantly, Diego admitted being scared of needles.

'So.. Syringes? Sewing needles? You see them, and then what?' Y/N tilted her head, narrowing her eyes at Diego. He paused, pressing his lips into a thin line, as his eyes looked away, searching for a better answer. Y/N noticed immediately, that maybe she was close to crossing certain lines, that Diego wasn't ready to allow to cross.

One thing Y/N knew for sure was that despite his cool and collected exterior, the man had a lot of issues to fight through; some of them being open about his fears, his feelings and his past. Y/N felt her face turn slightly red, at embarrassment and guilt, for making Diego feel uncomfortable.

'Actually, I shouldn't have asked.' Y/N muttered, quickly looking down. 'W-we're almost here.' Y/N gave Diego a reassuring tap on his back, before grabbing his hand and increasing her pace. She reached into her pocket, with her free hand, keys jiggling, as she was grabbing the hold of them.

For a short moment, before reaching the room door, Y/N avoided Diegos eyes, as guilt started to eat her from within. She should've known better, should've been more careful.

'Here's the room, I-I'm going to stay in.' Y/N begins to stutter, as her hand shakes slightly, the key missing its hole. 'I just need to change, but if you want, you're siblings are a couple doors down.-' She begins muttering again, her eyebrows creasing, as she gets increasingly agitated with her anxiety. Not the first, and definitely, not the last time.

'O-or you, could just, you know, come in. I will be quick, I promise. Change my clothes, make a call and we, or you now, and me later.. Uh, did I say that your siblings are a couple of doors down?' The keys start to violently jiggle as Y/N finally puts the key in its hole, but struggles to unlock it. She feels her palms begin to sweat, as a wave of hot sweat rushes down her body. Y/N sighs in defeat, gently resting her forehead against the door. She inhales sharply, and closes her eyes tightly.

'I'm sorry, Diego.' Y/N quietly whispers, hoping that it was loud enough for him to hear. One minute she's giving him the cold shoulder, the next minute she's asking questions, that she shouldn't have, and as a cherry on top, offers him to come inside her room. Surely, she didn't mean it in _that_ way. Right? She bit her lip at the thought, as the heat washed over her again, stopping in an area, that wasn't hot for a _really_ long time.

Suddenly, she feels Diegos hand entangle with hers, as his long, yet gentle fingers travel towards hers, cupping her hand and reaching for the key. His touch seems to work like magic, as Y/N feels her hands stop shaking. Reluctantly, she quickly glances up to meet his eyes; a set of beautiful brown eyes stared back, softened, comforting with a hint of amusement. Y/N froze in her spot, her eyes fixated on his.

Diegos eyes started to turn darker, a glimpse of something more than comfort and care; perhaps longing, lust... _Love?_ Diego leant in closer, his words a mere whisper, as his warm breath bounced off of Y/Ns skin, making her shiver all over.

'Our dad made us get these tattoos.' He turns his wrist, lifting the sleeve, and showing a tattoo of an umbrella on his wrist, his other hand still firm on Y/Ns. 'For a kid, that's a hell of a lot of pain. Hate needles ever since.' He sighs, rolling his sleeve back. Diego looks back at Y/N, who stares at him, bewildered.

He lets out a dry chuckle, before he spins the key and unlocks the door. Y/N realised how much she leant into the door, because as it opened she almost fell in. To be honest, she barely heard what he was saying, as she got distracted by his face. Not the first time, of course. Old thoughts seemed to rush back to her, as her body started to heat up again. She remembers their first, kiss and how it almost turned into something much more.

She remembers it dearly; it was the best kiss she ever had. Without realising, Y/N glances down; her fingers hovering over her lips, unconsciously bringing her back into the memory.

'I, uh.. Going to grab some fresh clothes, and then we'll go meet the others, okay?' Y/N turns around, giving Diego a small smile. She points to another briefcase on the bed, which she opens to take out clean clothes. They're more casual, and modern; a pair of black jeans, and a loose gray shirt. Y/N immediately begins to change, dropping her blazer onto the bed, and unbuttoning her shirt.

She paid no mind to it at first, it was part of her job; getting changed out of bloodied clothing, or simply changing to civilian clothing, due to her missions. One thing she hadn't thought of, however, was that Diego was right there in front of her.

'Uh, should I turn around?' Diego mumbled, averting his gaze. Y/N chuckles at Diegos sudden shy demeanour.

'If you want?' Y/N shrugs, as she takes off her shirt and drops it onto her blazer. Diego glances once more. He realises he's wearing a, pretty much, winter coat in the beginning of April. Feeling his own body heat up, whether it's the weather or Y/N, he decides to take off his coat, as well.

Unbuckling Y/Ns hand-made harness, he places it carefully onto the chair, next to the entrance. Diego unzips his coat, revealing a burgundy shirt, he's worn before. He places it besides the harness, hand hovering over it, deciding whether its appropriate to put on. Diego looks back at Y/N, who smiles at him, gray shirt in hand. He bites his lip, trying to control himself, but eventually his eyes move down Y/Ns torso.

Y/N wore a white laced bra; her breasts sat in it perfectly. Diegos palms pretty much itched, from wanting to run his fingers down them, and not just the fingers. The second thing he noticed, were faint scars, scattered across her shoulders and her stomach. A professional job done, they were barely visible, and clearly sewn together, instead of Diegos preferred approach. He almost choked on his own saliva, looking at her.

Glancing up her face, he noticed her staring, a slight smirk printed on her face, as her cheeks started to turn rosy.

'I'm sorry, if this is making you uncomfortable.' Y/N shrugs, yet she's hesitant to put the fresh shirt on.

'Y/N..' Diego gulps, before he licks his lips. He runs his fingers through his hair, as he carefully approaches Y/N. Almost sheepishly, his hands rise towards Y/N shoulders, moving his hands up towards her neck. Seeing her like that, was the last straw.

He wanted Y/N, it was obvious, and it should've been obvious to her, too. Whether the beginning was somewhat awkward, he saw Y/N become her old self, within hours. Kissing her forehead, and being generally close to her was great, of course. But Diego was a man with a need for physicality, and if it's someone he greatly cared for, he wanted to immerse in them completely.

Was it the first time, he thought of Y/N in that way? Of course, not! And now, finally, he felt his heart beat faster, as they were alone, just the two of them, in a room, away from his siblings, where they could do whatever they wanted to do back in Dallas.

Diego wasn't stupid, and he realised, he had to suppress his needs to a certain level; he would never use force, and he was perfectly fine just with a gentle kiss. Although, last time they kissed, he knows he wasn't very good with controlling himself; pretty much rubbing himself against her, whilst she was pressed against the wall. The memory of their kiss made it all the more difficult for him to control himself.

His eyes searched Y/Ns looking for some sort of confirmation, that they must've thought about the same thing. Y/N her lips parted, halting her breath, anticipating Diegos move.

'Can I...?' Diego pretty much whispered against Y/Ns lips, as his hands cupped Y/Ns face. Glancing up, she was silent, only giving him a small and slow nod. Momentarily grinning, Diego leant in completely, his lips crashing against Y/Ns. With a sense of desperation, Diego almost clutched to Y/Ns face, as she did the same, by clutching to his wrists, as if holding him as close as she physically can.

It didn't take long, for Y/N to part her lips and let Diegos wanting tongue, wander her mouth. It was something she craved before, so strongly and so much. In this moment, his tongue tasted as sweet as candy. Roaming his body, she brushed against his shoulders, down his arms and under his t-shirt, sneakily moving her arms up his chest. Just as she remembers, it was beautifully sculpted with different textured areas, due to his scars. Nonetheless, to her, his body was one of a Greek God; something she lost her mind over before, and is losing it now.

As much as she tried controlling herself, she felt her body melt against his, as her lower half became hot and wet. Sturdily pressing against Diegos chest, Y/N took a few steps towards the bed. Diego felt his knees buckle, once he reached the bed, collapsing with Y/N falling on top of him. Placing herself securely on Diegos lap, Y/N pressed herself harder, wanting to feel his excitement, as much as she felt her own. And she was not disappointed. Y/N felt an increasing hardness press against her own crotch, as Diegos lips began to travel down Y/Ns neck.

Diego ran his fingers up Y/Ns stomach, across her breasts and towards her neck, cupping her head and pulling her closer. Testing her limits, he carefully grabs her hair and pulls it back, not too rough, but not light either. Gaining a pleased moan from Y/N, he feels her nails dig into his bare skin.

Absolutely aroused, Y/N ardently pulls at the hem Diegos shirt, encouraging him to lift it up. He eagerly reciprocates and drops it on the pile of his own clothes; presumably using his powers, since there was no way he could be this precise, naturally. His hands immediately return to Y/Ns waist, as she pulls back to look at him. She runs her nails across his chest, stopping at the scar, that brought her to the time, she took care of an injured Diego. Smiling to herself she leant in to feverishly kiss him once more.

'Did you enjoy the view?' Diegos voice muffled by Y/Ns lips, as he couldn't stop himself from smirking smugly, practically into her mouth. Pulling away once more, Y/N lets out a short snicker.

'A lot, actually.' She bites her lip, her fingers stroking Diegos chest, giving him goosebumps. 'Since it is getting warmer here, have you considered being shirtless all the time?' Y/N bites her tongue, winking.

'You think I look good?' Diego raises his eyebrow, amused. Y/N looks him over, as her left hand rests against his cheek. He kisses the inside of her palm, before leaning his face against it.

'You're breathtaking.' Y/N breathes, her gaze softening, as she rubs her thumb against his cheek. Diego looks away, somewhat embarrassed. He glances back, his hands playfully playing with the straps of her bra. Knowing himself well enough, he's really damn close to just ripping it off. But Y/Ns words seemed to be imprinted in his mind, giving him a fuzzy feeling he rarely feels. Tilting his head up to meet Y/Ns eyes, he ponders for a moment.

'Y/N, I-' He begins to speak, but is rudely interrupted by the noise outside the motel. A loud bang of the door echoes throughout, making Y/N jump in her spot.

'The hell was that?' She leans over, trying to see any movement by their window.

'Where are you going? Diego told us to stay here!' Allison begins yelling, as her steps can be heard, trying to catch up to someone else.

'It's been hours, Allison. God knows, where the hell they are! I need to go look for them.' A stern voice snaps back at her. Dropping her shoulders, Y/N groans resting her forehead against Y/Ns.

'Luther.' Her and Diego mutter in sync. Such a cock-block.

________________________________________

Y/N quickly changed into the clothes, she had prepared for herself, as Diego stayed put, trying to calm his body down, after the recent occurrence.

'We should do this more often.' Diego turns to face Y/N, whose already zipping up her trousers and putting her combat boots back on. She drops her head, quietly snickering, as she raises it, her cheeks turned slightly red.

'Yeah, I guess we should.' She smiles and bites her lip. 'You go get Luther, I'm going to call the Commission. I need some documents to be sent over.' Y/N tone is more direct and insistent. Diego slightly frowns at her changed demeanour, but Y/N is quick to rush up to him, and give him a playful peck on his lips.

'I'll be there in a minute, okay?' Her gaze softened, as she cupped his face once more. Almost tip-toeing, Y/N reaches for his forehead, giving it a soft kiss; turning on her heel, she rushed out of the motel room, to the nearest telephone booth.

Diego walked across the room, looking down to see if he's all set to go. Glancing at the chair with his clothes, he paused for a second. Does this mean, he'll stay with Y/N? He turns around to the bed, behind him. It's a king-sized bed, definitely enough for the two of them. But was it on purpose? Perhaps she gave him a separate key, for a separate room? Creasing his brows, he looks around, as if looking for some sort of a hint. Eventually he bites his lip, and decides to leave his coat, putting on his harness instead.

Leaving the motel room, he sees Y/N in the distance, at a telephone booth. Turning his gaze to the side, he sees Luther stomping away. Damn, that man can walk fast. Diego begins jogging towards his sibling, whistling at him to grab his attention. Luther ignored the two times, Diego whistled. Becoming increasingly annoyed, Diego began yelling.

'Hey, dumbass! What's the rush?' He cups his mouth, for better sound. Surprisingly, that makes Luther stop. Luther slowly turns around, to see his annoying brother. He sprints towards Diego, towering over him, as he points at Diegos chest, accusingly.

'Where the hell have you been, Diego? Five told me, you guys were attacked.' Luther gritted his teeth, as Diego rolled his eyes.

'So? We kicked their asses, we're fine. See?' He shrugs, shaking his head for Luther to follow him back. Reluctantly, Luther gives in as they walk back to the motel room.

'Y/N is on the phone as we speak. Once she comes back, she will explain everything in detail.' Diego waved his hand dismissively.

'What? Y/Ns here?' Creased his eyebrows in confusion, an emotion he felt quite often. Diego glanced up at his brother, nodding.

'So... You and Y/N..' Luthers voice trailed, as he saw Y/N in the telephone booth himself, meeting her gaze; she waved gleefully, to which he replied with a wave, too.

'Is something happening between you too?' He raised his eyebrow, as Diego glared daggers at him. 'What? You just said you love Lila! It's not my fault, you fall in love with anyone, who decides to give you attention.' Luther shrugs at his conclusion, in a way not being entirely wrong.

'At least I'm not in love with my sister..' Diego mutters under his breath. Gaining a pained look from his brother, he sighs, tapping him on the shoulder.

'Sorry, Luther.. I didn't mean it.. Just came out.' He mumbled. They entered the motel room, where the rest of the siblings lounged. Vanya and Allison sat in the arm chairs, chatting as Klaus ravaged through the mini bar, practically inhaling all the alcoholic drinks he can find. Five sat at the corner of one of the beds, his elbows on his knees, as he stared intently into the TV.

'Diego! We thought something happened!' Allison was the first to react, jumping off of her armchair. She crossed her arms, staring down at her brother. Diego opened his mouth to answer, but was quickly interrupted by an already intoxicated Klaus.

'Hey, Diego, long time no see.' He giggled to himself. 'Listen, did you get me a pack of cigarettes?' Klaus asked, to which Diego scoffed, raising his eyebrow.

'Why on earth would I be out, getting cigarettes for you?' Diego immediately rolled his eyes, at the strong waft of alcohol emitting from Klaus.

'I dunno, maybe because you wanted to be a good brother for once?' Klaus pouted, collapsing back on the bed.

'Klaus, I've got like..-' Vanya began searching her pockets, looking for cash. 'A dollar? I'm sorry, it's all I have.' She offers her money to Klaus, which he eagerly accepts.

'Here.' Y/N begins searching her pockets, her eyes narrowed in concentration. 'Ten bucks. This should be enough.' She shrugs, and Klaus blows her a kiss, before he snatches the money. 

'My angels, you're the only ones who loves me.' Klaus gets up, and leans in to kiss Vanya on the forehead. He starts to walk out of the motel room, but turns around to face his siblings. Giving each of them a stern look, he blows a raspberry and slams the door behind him.

'You know, I'm kinda glad that we're not biologically related.' Allison sighs and flops back into the armchair. She quickly shares a glance with Luther, quickly averting it elsewhere.

Finally, Y/N knocks on the door, before slowly opening it to peer through. Realising, she got the right room, she grins widely as she enters it. Allison and Vanya gasp, as Five seems fixated in his spot.

'Hey everybody. Long time no see, huh?' Y/N chuckles sheepishly. Allison takes a good look at Y/N, noticing her aged features.

'It was like a couple of hours for us, but how long was it for you?' She raises her eyebrow, as she slowly gets up again.

'Uh, two years, give or take.' Y/N shrugged. Allison reciprocated, eventually walking towards Y/N to give her a hug. It was quick, yet warm. Vanya looked at the two of them, realising she needs to do the same. She quickly rushed to Y/N, giving her a longer hug. Vanya gave a soft squeeze on Y/Ns shoulders, before returning to her spot. Glancing over to Five, Y/N began listening to the television.

'Anything about the doughnut shop?' Y/N asked.

'Surprisingly, not.' Five muttered, he didn't even move to look up, television screen reflected on his eyes.

'Well, that's the Commission for ya. New and improved.' Y/N smirked.

'New? Sure. Improved? I don't think so.' Five mumbled again, this time giving a snarly glance at Y/N.

'Touché.' Y/N shoots back, smirking. A loud thud startles the siblings, as they all begin to look around, except for Five and Y/N. The noise came from further into the room, presumably the restroom.

'About time. I'm popping into the bathroom real quick.' Y/N insists right away, walking out of the room. A minute later she comes back, with a capsule, much larger than the one, sent to Five previously. Y/N looks around, as if counting the Hargreeves siblings.

'Where's Klaus?' Y/N questions, creasing her brows.

'Oh, he just went out for a smoke.' Vanya pointed at the door. Pondering for a moment, Y/N shrugged opening the capsule, she received. A soft hiss came out of it, as pressed air escaped it.

'Let's be honest, Klaus has an attention span of a goldfish, so might as well begin with out him..' Y/N says, to which the siblings reply with agreeable mumbling.

'We don't know how much we're going to be here-' Y/N grunts as she tried pulling out tightly placed files out of the capsule. With much struggle, she starts to remove one by one.

'We don't know how much we'll succeed, once we do find a way out-' Y/N grunts again, as she continues pulling out files. Five glances at Y/N once, twice, eventually getting up from the television and walking towards her, to help her. He raises his hand, as well as his eyebrow, pretty much demanding Y/N to hand him the capsule.

As she continues to talk, he begins removing the files himself, neatly placing them on the coffee table.

'So the Commission has prepared some files, information, that might be of use for us, while we're here.' Y/N finishes up, walking towards the coffee table. The rest of the siblings lean in, as each sibling grabs a hold of a different file. Five curiously glances over the files, that the siblings flick through. He opens the first page of one of them, realising what its about. He closes it, and plops back onto the bed, unamused.

'What are we exactly looking at?' Luther creases his eyebrows. Y/N looks confused for a moment, realising that knowing what kind of a man Reginald Hargreeves is suppose to be, perhaps they were not properly introduced to their alternative family. 'The Sparrow Academy, of course.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to apologise for not posting in quite some time, but since it was the holidays, it was difficult to focus and return to writing. It's a much more softer chapter, since Diego and Y/N has had their fair share of anticipation. I wanted for them to finally have some time to themselves, because I know it's a slow ass burn, already! However, the journey is not over yet.
> 
> I hope all of my readers had a good holiday period, are pulling and fighting through these challenging times and enter 2021 with a new hope. 
> 
> I'd love to hear your thoughts about the story so far, since I am planning on finishing it soon-ish. I don't want for it to come off as rushed, but I know that it will eventually end up being a very long story, and I'm not sure, if you guys are okay with such format. 
> 
> Anyway,
> 
> Enjoy!


	17. Surprise, Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A more informative chapter. The Hargreeves family gets the hold of information on the Sparrow Academy, the reader gets a glimpse of who they are. Y/N and Diego seem to be more physically comfortable towards each other, however Diego's hero complex, seem to get in his way. Y/N interacts more with Klaus and Allison. Y/N has a surprise for Allison, hopefully she'll like it.
> 
> The chapter is more based, but not equal to the comics. Since the TV show hasn't given us a clear glimpse to the Sparrow Academy, we can only assume they will be somewhat similar to the comics. 
> 
> TW; swearing, smoking.

'Holy shit.' Allison gasps reading through the file in her grasp. Her loud exclamation brought the attention of everyone in the room, except for Five, who was intently listening to the news. Luther and Diego peered over Allisons shoulder, as Vanya encouraged her to read it out loud.

'The Sparrow Academy has someone like me.' Allisons eyebrows lower, as she skims through the information, going momentarily silent.

'Wait, someone who can rumour people, too?' Vanya, puts the file, she had on her knees, tilting her head towards her sister. Allison vehemently shakes her head, raising her index finger, for everybody to wait. Her eyes went wide, as they were rushing through the lines, occasionally looking up at a blurred out, bad quality photograph; it was obvious, that the person wasn't willing to pose for pictures.

'Unbelievable..' She mumbles under her breath, snatching Luthers file. Recklessly flicking it open, she moves her index finger down the lines; her face drops, once she finds what she's looking for.

'Allison, 'the hell are you doing?' Diego tries to snatch the file out of her grasp, but she moves it away, dropping the two files onto the table. Diego steps back, puzzled, which Allison uses as an opportunity to grab his file, too.

'I was reading that!' Diego huffed, crossing his arms in front of him and pouting in dissatisfaction. Glancing at his concerned sister, he exhaled and stepped closer to peer over her shoulder, once again.

As a conclusion, Allison slams the file down with the rest; holding her face in her hands, she slowly shakes her head, glancing at each of her siblings.

'Sis, after such a performance, we expect some sort of an answer.' Diego warned, towering over her. She momentarily glances at him, before she drops onto the armchair, next to Vanya. Taking a sip of what was left out of Klaus' stash, she groaned.

'Clearly we weren't good enough.' She dryly chuckled, after taking a large sip of brandy, twisting her mouth at the bitter taste of alcohol. She glances up at her siblings, who are anticipating an answer, with Diego and Luther becoming increasingly agitated.

'This “Sparrow” Academy..' Allison holds up air quotes, once she places the bottle back onto the coffee table. 'They sound so much more... I don't know, advanced?' She raises her upper lip, surprised at her own words.

'Advanced? Pff, yeah, right.' Diego rolls his eyes, mumbling to himself. No matter what struggles he's gone through, what inner demons he had to fight and what Reginald has put him and his family through, he was more than confident in his powers; seeing that they can go further than expected, ignited a new surge of confidence within him.

'Diego, this woman-' She flips a file open, showing a blurry figure. 'Doesn't just rumour. She doesn't have to.' Allison glances up, at an increasingly confused Diego. 'She manipulates reality, the second she wants to. No phrasing, no steps needed to be taken. That's crazy and scary at the same time.' She grabs the bottle of the table again, taking a huge swig. Luther almost flinches at the sight, shifting in his spot.

'I mean.. There's someone like Luther, too.' She chuckles dryly, grabbing another file. Flicking through, she stops, and points her finger at some words, making Luther, Diego and Y/N lean into the table. Vanya glances at them, eventually following their lead.

'Super strength and flight?! You guys...' Allison leans back into the arm chair. 'Luther, can you imagine, if you could fly?' She runs her fingers through her hair. Y/N chuckles, amused.

'Is this funny to you?' Allison scoffs, clearly upset.

'No, Allison it isn't.' Y/N gives her a soft smile, her tone much softer and quieter, compared to the rest. 'You just remind me of Raymond, back when we met. He was so shocked and confused..' Y/Ns voice drifted, at the memory. Suddenly she frowned, seeing how Allisons shoulders slumped at the memory of her husband. Her Raymond, who she had to leave back in time. She already misses that man so much. Allisons hands rush up her arms, as she hugs herself for comfort.

'Sorry..' Y/N mutters, biting her lip, as she steps back in to the background. Allison presses her lips tightly, lifting her right hand.

'It's alright..' She sighs.

'Hey, guys!' Klaus suddenly bursts through the door, making everyone jump. Luthers ape-like muscles begin to twitch underneath the coat, as Diego instinctively reaches for a knife. Even Five raised an eyebrow at his brother.

'Oh-kay..' Klaus takes a step away from the door, resting against the wall next to it. 'Why do you guys look like you've seen a ghost? I thought that's my thing?' Klaus shrugs, taking a cigarette out of a packet, and placing it behind his ear.

'Good news, though.' He carries on. 'Cigarettes? Same as in our timeline! So if those are the same...' He pretends to use a calculator. 'Surely, other drugs should be the same, too! Yay!' He exclaims.

Klaus' head twists to Vanya, a dumb grin appearing on his face.

'Vanny, darling, please tell me you got another like..' He taps his chin. 'Maybe fifty dollars in that pocket? It'd be grand.' He raises his hand towards his sister, clasping his palm. Diego takes a quick step and slaps his hand away.

'Ow! What was that for?' Klaus hisses, shaking his hand.

'For talking.' Diego huffs, walking back to his position. Klaus' head turns towards the coffee table, where files are scattered.

'Oh what is this? Are we joining a book club?' He strolls towards the table, taking the first file he can see. He widely grins at his own curiosity, as he quickly flips the file open. Klaus' face drops when he sees a picture on the front page.

'Nope! I'm out.' Klaus slams it back, turning on his heel and practically running out of the room.

'Talk about seeing a ghost..' Y/N chuckles at Klaus' sudden changed behaviour. She glances at the file, as curiosity gets the best of her. Hesitantly, Y/N exhales, before opening the it.

Her face twists in confusion, as Diego leans in and rests his head on her shoulder.

'Huh.' Is all he can mumble in the moment. Luther hovers over the two of them

'Well, I guess, technically, he did just see a ghost.' He tried to joke, as his finger brushed against a photo of their supposedly deceased brother.

\---------------------------------------------------------------

A couple of hours has passed as the Hargreeves siblings, including Y/N looked through the documentation and discussed the alternative family. Klaus hasn't returned ever since he saw a picture of Ben, yet cigarette smoke, peering out the window, suggested he wasn't that far.

After almost two decades, Ben practically acted as Klaus' conscience. Sure, Ben rarely succeeded at changing Klaus' mind, but an ability to posses and physically connect with him has come to his and his family's aid.

In this moment, Bens disappearance meant to Klaus more, than it did to others. Connected for almost two decades, inseparable almost moulded together, it wasn't a surprise that Klaus took it as a big hit, especially emotionally and mentally. Like a piece of his mind, missing completely, leaving Klaus alone with his disruptive thoughts. His Ben would definitely find alternative Ben amusing, since his pre-pubescent moustache isn't fooling anyone.

Klaus chuckles at the image, taking another long drag of his fourth cigarette. He glances to his side, like he's done so for 17 years, awaiting for some sort of agreement or a snarky comment, only to find an empty spot and faint talking from within the room.

Meanwhile, in the motel room, Five lets out an exasperated sigh, before turning to face his siblings. He shifts closer to the end of the bed, leaning on his arms, as he thoughtfully glances at his family.

'Nothing unusual on TV, so we're in the clear.' He comes to a conclusion. The layered bags under Fives eyes signalled for Y/N to either get him a blanket and a pillow, or find the biggest cup of darkest, strongest coffee there is. Giving Five a quick glance, she opens her mouth before she's interrupted by him.

'If you do find a coffee machine, get me the strongest stuff, you can get.' Five smirks, as if he's read Y/Ns mind, to which Y/N suspiciously stares him down. Damn, after all these years she's seen enough shit, so it wouldn't come off as a surprise, if Five can read minds, too. Staring him down, she begins thinking of random words, colours, animals and places. Five rolls his eyes, crossing his arms he raises his eyebrow.

'Are you trying to think of something, so I would “read” your mind?' Five quips sarcastically.

'...No.' Y/N narrows her eyes, obviously lying. Fives eyes crease in amusement, as Y/N suppresses a smile and leaves the motel room.

Greeted by a big ball of fog, Y/N gasps inhaling second-hand smoke.

'Gross..' She crunches her nose, waving the smoke out of her face. Once the smoke disperses, she sees Klaus leaning over the rail, as he looks down into the horizon. Even for as little as she knew Klaus, this seemed unusual for him; he was still, silent and serene. Just lost in his thoughts, his gaze distant, hand lifting up occasionally, so he could take a drag of his cigarette.

'Hey, darling. How about I get you some coffee, huh?' Y/N rests against the railing with him, lightly nudging his shoulder.

'Ah, sweet Y/N. Coffee won't help. I'm thinking of a good bottle of vodka.' Klaus closes his eyes, as if seeing it in his mind already. 'The cheapest kind, where the label just has 'Vodka' written on it, and nothing else. Cheap, dodgy, yet with a hint of mystery. Just like me.' He glances at Y/N, giving her a seductive wink. Rolling her eyes, she thinks for a moment, looking at a distance herself.

'Tell you what.' She slaps the railing. 'How about an Irish coffee, huh?' Y/N smirks, as Klaus raises his eyebrows, weighing in his options. 'I'll get you a couple of bottles of travel-sized whiskey, and a huge cup of black coffee.' Y/N continued. 'That way you'll be sober enough, to not annoy your siblings. Yet tipsy enough, for them not to annoy you.' She finished, as Klaus gave her a large smile. His green eyes seemed to shine with glee. No matter how messed up and troubled at times Klaus was, he was truly a charming man.

'Y/N you're a star.' Klaus blows her a kiss, as they both share a giggle. 'No wonder Diego is head over heels for you.' Y/N stops laughing, as his words seem to come off as a surprise to Y/N. Can everybody see it, but her?

'Speaking of Diego..' Klaus lowers his voice to a whisper. 'You guys boinked yet?' He gives a sly smirk.

'And we're done.' Y/N sighs loudly, as she turns on her heel and walks away from a laughing Klaus. It did cheer him a bit, though, for which he's very grateful.

\----------------------------------------------

Finally, the whole gang was sat around the coffee table. Allison and Vanya were in their armchairs, Five sat on one of the arms, next to Vanya. Luther sat on the bed, enough space for him to sit comfortably, as Klaus sprawled out besides him. Diego has pulled a chair out of a corner, on which he decided to sit on himself.

Y/N glanced around for a seat, seeing a free spot next to Luther, she shrugged to herself and began walking towards it. She quietly yelped, as she felt a firm arm pull her by her waist and onto a lap.

'Where do you think, you're going?' Diego muttered into Y/Ns neck, as he placed her on his lap. His warm breath tickled, which made her quietly giggle. Glancing up, she saw a few of the siblings shift their gazes, which immediately made her very uncomfortable. Too much PDA? Her face turned a beetroot red, as Diegos hands slid up her thigh, for stability _of course_.

Knowing Diego and his family, this must've been a rare sight, if not the first ever, of Diego being physically affectionate with someone. Therefore, no surprise that people stared. They were simply shocked.

'So what do we have?' Five finally breaks the awkward silence, taking a loud sip of his coffee. Pulling away, he pauses, twisting his mouth, as he looks inside his cup. Obvious displeasure.

'To summarise-' Y/N begins talking, as she stacks the remaining files into one pile. 'The obvious one.. Well, your brother, I presume.' She shrugs looking around the room; each sibling shift their gazes down, remembering their dead brother belittling them at their own home.

'As far as the Commission looked into it, we've got one who manipulates reality, much like Allison.' Y/N points towards Allison, to which she tuts in displeasure.

'Super strength.. Uh, flight?' Y/N narrows her eyes, trying to shift in her seat, only to realise she's rubbing her bottom against Diegos lap. 'Uh.. Laser manipulation, avian physiology.' Y/N bends her fingers with each power, as some of the siblings nod thoughtfully.

'This is where it gets really interesting, though.' She tries to lean forward, with Diego moving his other hand to hold her waist. Reaching for a file, she grabs it and throws it at Five, which he easily catches.

'This one doesn't look nor human, nor anything else. As far as we know, they inflict pain to themselves, yet they cause pain to their target. A very unusual power, if I say so myself.' Y/N leans back into Diego, who rests his chin on her shoulder.

'Of course, last but not least..' Allison interjects, as she reaches for another file. 'Christopher Hargreeves. Literally, uh, a cube.' She cannot believe her own words. Allison opens the file for everyone to look at a faint photograph of a floating cube.

Klaus begins giggling; a full cup of coffee placed on the bedside, accompanied by three empty bottles of travel-sized whiskey. Disappointing, yet not surprising.

'That doesn't sound right.' Luther creases his brow in confusion. Finally, Five gets up, crunching his cup and tossing it into the nearest bin. Sticking his right hand into his pocket, he uses his left to pick up the file.

'Extraordinary.' Five whispers. 'A consciousness living inside a cube.. At least my case doesn't seem so outlandish now.' He quips, amused.

'This sounds stupid.' Diego huffs, his voice vibrating through Y/Ns body, as he rests against her, giving her a fuzzy feeling all over.

'Please, Diego.' Five scoffs, giving him a shit-eating grin. 'You couldn't even spell the word consciousness.' Other siblings snicker, as Diegos grasp on Y/Ns thigh, tightens.

'He's only kidding.' Y/N moves her arm to wrap around his shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze. Diego glares at Five for a moment longer, before sighing and shifting his gaze elsewhere.

'So what happens now?' Vanya finally speaks, leaning into her chair. 'Do you think they might be after us?' She glances at Five, who stares back, yet his gaze is empty. His gears are turning already, while he slowly zones out of the conversation.

'Y/N. A word outside, please.' Without glancing, he turns and leaves the room. Diego and Y/N share a confused look, as Y/N begins shifting in her spot to get up.

'I'm going with you.' Diego insists, holding her tighter.

'He asked to speak privately, Diego.' Y/Ns tone is hush, yet with a hint of a warning. 'I choose to respect that.' Her face hardened, as she jumped off his lap and bolted through the door.

'Women, huh?' Diego jumped at his brothers sudden appearance next to him, who was smirking down at his brother.

'Shut up, Luther. Didn't you lose your virginity, like, five minutes ago? Get bent.' Diego scoffs, crossing his arms in front of him, as Luther, Allison and Vanya shared an entertained look.

\------------------------------------------------

'Should we be worried?' After some brief discussion, Y/N rests against the rails, as she did with Klaus. Five hovers the rail, looking down, his hands firmly placed in his pockets. His mouth pressed in a tight line, as he's lost in his own thoughts. Y/N knew well enough, not to rush it, so she looked away at a nearby motorway; modern cars, all different shape and sizes seem to rocket across the road. Rushing, and overtaking each other, as if racing for a grand prize.

She glances back at Five, who suddenly tenses up, looking down; his stare has widened, lips pressed even tighter. Following his gaze, Y/N finds a couple of crows looking back at them. They immediately fly away, as Five and Y/N follow them, until they eventually disappear in a distance.

'To be quite frank with you, dad is suspicious of everything, even his own shadow.' Five squints, looking at a distance.

'This doesn't make any sense.' Y/N crunches her nose.

'It would, if you knew the man.' Five shot back in a monotone voice. 'Like you said, we're pretty much parasites of this time.' Five begins, as he pulls out his hands, tightly grasping the railing in front of him.

'Considering the welcome we received, I can only assume that the Sparrow Academy is everything, the Umbrella Academy failed to achieve.' Five shrugged at his own words, a small frown appearing on his face.

Although he'd deny it out loud, Five understood a fraction of what his father wanted to achieve. He wanted a team of superheroes, who could protect the people from evil. Sure, he could've used a different approach, but all superheroes have a tragic backstory, right? Seeing the Sparrow Academy in one place has proven, that this time, Reginald actually succeeded.

'Well...' Five breaks the silence. 'Clearly they're monitoring us.'

'For what purpose, though?' Y/N raises her eyebrow.

'So we don't do any more damage, of course.' Five begins to turn to walk back into the room, but Y/Ns words stop in his steps.

'What if they're just curious?' She turns around, resting her back against the railing. 'They just met someone like themselves. Wouldn't you be curious?' Y/N chuckled, raising her eyebrows.

Five looked disinterested; he glanced at Y/N for a moment, completely silent. Without saying a word, he opened the door and walked into the room, leaving it open for Y/N. She stood in her spot, puzzled; rolling her eyes, she eventually followed him back in.

\-------------------------------------------------

The second Y/N stepped into the room, Diego eyes darted towards her, making him jump out of his seat. He gently pulled Y/N closer to him, one hand resting on her waist, as the other fixed a loose strand of hair. Once he moved her hair out of the way, Diego rested his hand on her cheek, drawing small circles with his thumb.

Like the time before, and pretty much any time prior that, Y/N started to relax at his touch. Closing her eyes, she inhaled and pressed her face further into his palm, trying to relish the moment, as much as she can.

'So, what did you and Five talk about?' Diegos voice was rough and low, a mere whisper but a different tone from what Y/N expected. Like a record scratch, the feel of pleasure stopped. Y/N fluttered her eyes open, seeing Diegos eyes search Y/Ns. He wanted an answer, and the anticipation was killing him.

'Oh, I know this look...' Y/N warned, raising her hands. This wasn't a romantic gesture, it was a cover up; so Five wouldn't notice, his attempts at extracting information.

Scoffing at his approach, Y/N grabbed his arms and shoved them away, not too rough, but strong enough to let him know, this is unacceptable. Diego was a vigilante first, and perhaps a lover second, if not third. An instinct built and maintained by Reginald Hargreeves himself. Y/N frowned, as doubt started surging up to her mind; is she truly someone he cares for, or just simply an asset?

Seeing her pretty much shrink in her spot, Diego finally came to a realisation, that he clearly pushed some boundaries. Although, not a great excuse, but Diego was deprived of certain romantic cues, having Patch correct him and teach him, every time he did something inappropriate. And with Lila... Well, let's just say she was as messed up, as he was. Perhaps, that would explain the initial attraction. Shaking his head out of those thoughts, this time he simply took a step closer.

'Y/N, I'm so sorry...' He raised his hand, softly cupping Y/Ns chin. Diego lifts her face, but she avoids his gaze.

'Diego, I don't understand you.' Y/N sharply inhales, finally looking up at him. His eyes crease, as his puppy-like stare strips Y/N of any anger.

'I don't understand myself sometimes, either.' Diego admits, giving her a small smile. 'I just want to help you and Five. I want to be part of, whatever this is. I don't want to be excluded.' Diego drops his hand, only to pull her closer.

She gives in immediately pressing herself against him, allowing him to rest his forehead against hers. It became a therapeutic thing for the both of them, which Y/N, as well as Diego, greatly appreciated.

'You're not going to be excluded. And just because I talk to Five, doesn't mean we're hiding something from you.' _Liar._ She shut her eyes tightly, as if swatting the thought away.

'Do you want to know, what we've talked about?' Y/N inquired. Diego, his forehead still pressed against, hers nodded, making Y/N smile at his action.

'We have a suspicion, that the Sparrow Academy is watching us.' Y/N whispers.

'Really? What makes you say that?' Diego whispers back.

'Crows seem to follow us, wherever we go. We might be wrong, but-.'

'Knowing the old man, it wouldn't be a surprise. He didn't trust us, never did.' Diego interrupted, to which Y/N just casually shrugged.

'Maybe so. As long as you guys stay out of trouble, we should be fine.' She quips.

'Now you sound like Five.' Diego rolls his eyes.

'Well, he's a man in his late fifties, surely he has enough experience to know what he's saying.' She suggests.

'The only thing that old man might have is haemorrhoids.' He points, gaining a quiet snicker from Y/N. 'That would explain why he's up his own ass all the time.' Diego begins to smile, as Y/N cannot suppress her laughter any more, pulling away and bursting into a fit of laughs.

Y/N immediately stops, realising the rest of the siblings are looking at them. Klaus pretends to vomit, before giggling himself, as the rest have a somewhat amused look on their faces. No matter how much the Hargreeves siblings were at each others throats, collectively they were glad to see one of their own seem happy.

'It's so sweet, it's making me nauseous.' Allison jokes, yet her face is compassionate and caring.

'Oh this reminds me!' Y/N gasps, pulling away from a reluctant Diego. Still in his hold, Y/N turns around and kisses him on the cheek, for comfort. Pulling away, she crunches her nose, yet smiles as Diegos beard tickled her lips.

'Allison, actually I need to show you something, if that's alright.' Y/N placed her hand on the doorknob, waiting for Allison to answer.

'Uh, yeah? Sure!' She shared a confused look with Vanya, then Luther, before she got up and strolled towards Y/N.

'Really?' Diego pouted, raising his eyebrow.

'It's girl stuff.' Y/N winked with one eye, probably to show off her skill, which Diego understood immediately, rolling his eyes and suppressing a smirk.

'Ready?' Y/Ns encourages Allison, who only shrugs, still somewhat perplexed. The two of them wave goodbye to the rest of the family, and they both leave the motel room.

'Let me just pop into my room..' Y/N mutters, looking for her key.

'Where are we going?' Allison crosses her arms, as she shuffles after Y/N.

'Do you get travel sick, Allison?' Y/N dodges her question, as she walks into her room.

'Huh? I don't know. I mean.. I travel a lot. Used to, due to my career..' Allisons voice trails as she tries to figure out what Y/N is planning on doing.

'Ah!' Y/N exclaims, pretty much to herself rushing towards her bed. She pulls out her black briefcase and plops it onto the bed. Turning the lock with her thumbs, she glances at Allison.

'Don't ask any more questions, it's a surprise.' Y/N eyebrows crease in concentration, as she fiddles with the briefcase.

'Y/N, you should know by now, that our family does not like surprises.' Allison scoffs at the thought. Y/N stands up, scratching her head.

'Well... You've got a point.' Y/N pouts, her shoulders slumping slightly. 'But it's too late now! And I need company, anyway.' Y/N goes back to being giddy. Allison sighs, realising she's got no choice, but to comply. Once Y/N is done messing with the briefcase, she pulls it along; rushing towards the exit, she locks her arm around Allisons, yanking her out of the room.

'This better be good, Y/N.' Allison warns.

'I hope so, too.' Y/N admits, as she pulls Allison with her. Once Y/N stops in her steps, Allison looks around her surroundings. It was the end of the motel, a darker corner of the place, surrounded by huge trash containers, giving it a hauntingly creepy vibe. Surely only useful for throwing away trash, and possibly other dodgy activities.

'Uh.. Y/N...?' Allison looks around, as her other hand clutches onto Y/Ns.

'Right.' Y/N twists her mouth, looking around. 'Ready?' Y/N quips, but before Allison can answer, they both blip out of the spot.

\---------------------------------------------------

They blip in front of similar looking trash containers, however the humid air, and a big jump in temperature suggests, that they're not in New York any more. Giving Allison an encouraging pull, Y/N tilts her head for her to begin walking, their arms still interlocked.

Pulling out of the alley way, Allison couldn't help herself, but feel that she's been here before. Glancing around she saw tall buildings hover over the rushing cars and passer-bys. The timeline seemed the same, it was still definitely 2019.

'I think I know this place.' Allison narrows her eyes, trying to bring back any memory she had of here.

'You do?' Y/N raised her eyebrows in shock. This time Allison began pulling Y/N along as they started walking down the street. She almost ran, whilst Y/N did her best to catch up; it wasn't easy running when another person was hauling them along. Allison eventually stopped; Y/N almost tripped over her own feet at the sudden halt.

Allison grins at her findings. A much older building placed in front of them; surrounded by modern apartment buildings and complexes, stood a hairdresser salon. Now run by artsy hipsters, it managed to keep its original shape, bringing only the best memories for Allison. She quickly turns around, releasing Y/N out of her grasp.

'We're in Dallas!' She grinned the most beautiful grin. Her face dropped quickly as she narrowed her eyes. 'We're in Dallas. Why?' A hint of suspicion rose from her voice as she raised an eyebrow at Y/N.

Taking her hand, and locking her arm around hers once more, Y/N smiled and started walking another direction. It took them about half an hour to get to their destination, but the trip there was considerably therapeutic. Allison enjoyed being in the modern times, taking in everything she's missed living in the Sixties.

For Y/N it was fun to come back to a place, she called home. Despite it looking almost unrecognisable, Y/N smiled when they would walk a familiar street, or recognise certain buildings.

Essentially, they step into a stunning park; filled with different kind of trees, fruit trees and bushes. The grass glimmered a vibrant green, as children and parents strolled around, happily enjoying the view. A great place to rest, fun and simply enjoy the nature.

'Wow, this... I don't remember this place.' Allison looked around, enjoying every inch of it.

'Technically, neither do I.' Y/N admits. 'It was created in early 2000s.' Y/N squinted, looking for something specific. 'Come on, there's a sign. That should give us more information.' Y/N speaks slyly, giving away that she knows exactly what she's doing. Allison hesitates for a moment, yet it's futile, as Y/N simply drags her along.

Once they approach the marble sign, Y/N releases Allison out of her grasp, turning around to see her reaction. Allison raises her eyebrow at Y/N, however she gasps as she begins reading the bronze plated letters. Y/N smile reaches her eyes, as she feels like she has succeeded. Turning around to her old spot, she reads the sign out loud.

' _CHESTNUT PARK. In honour and memory of Raymond Chestnut, a civil rights activist and a local hero.'_

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was a quick update, compared to before, however I do enjoy writing for the siblings! Now I finally understand, why there's fanfiction that is simply about the Umbrella family, there's just so much material to work with.
> 
> I'm going to be honest, and I'm not gonna apologize, for perhaps the lack of Diego and Y/N interaction. As mentioned before, Y/N does have a friendship to build with the rest of the family, and in the end it's more of her individual story, anyway.
> 
> Writing the siblings arguing is so much fun, so honestly, I do hope you find it as fun, as I did.
> 
> Tell me what you think, and if you got any suggestions/corrections, let me know!
> 
> I appreciate and am thankful for you readers!
> 
> Enjoy! <3


	18. Come Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allison and Y/N get to share a tender moment, thus strengthening their bond. Y/N prepares for the worst, by asking Five to train her. Y/N and Diego try to solidify their relationship, but having siblings means they'll need to be more patient. 
> 
> TW; mentions of sexual activity.

'He made quite an impact.' Y/N smiled proudly, as her eyes traced every part of Allisons features. Many emotions crossed her face; shock, longing and grief. Tears began building at the corner of her eyes, one of her hand rushing to her mouth, helping her suppress a sob. It was painful to watch. Allison mourned her loss; she began crying because she already missed him so much, but there was a faint glimpse of happiness.

A small grain of happiness filled Allisons heart, as she was proud to see that Raymond did all he could for the civil rights movement, and people actually acknowledged his achievements. She was immensely proud, if only she could share that with him. Tears kept pooling out of her eyes, as Allison struggled to speak, her breath stopped by a sob, every time she opened her mouth. Y/N didn't have a fraction of understanding, with what Allison was going through. Hell, Y/N didn't even know that Allison had a daughter.

Like a recurring nightmare, as Allison does all she can to get to her daughter, only to fail miserably at every single attempt. Y/N free hand draped across Allisons shoulders, as Y/N pulled her closer for comfort. That's all she could do right now, but perhaps the touch of another person was all Allison needed at the time. Embracing Y/N fully, Allison squeezed tightly, as she buried her face in Y/Ns neck, tears dripping down and under Y/Ns shirt.

'I know it's awful losing someone you love. But look at the impact he's made.' Y/N stroked her back, in reassuring circles. Allison eventually pulls away, wiping her tears with her fingers, she lets out a weak smile.

'You're right. He was so passionate about it.' Allisons voice drifts as she looks away, probably recalling a memory. 'Raymond should've come with me, though. The fight is never over.' She frowns, looking up as if trying to stop the tears.

'From experience, I think Raymond would have found this place... A bit overwhelming, no?' Y/N shrugs, as she tugs at Allisons arm, suggesting for them to take a stroll in the park.

'Yeah, it's just...' Allison pauses, as her feet begin to slowly shuffle after Y/N. 'It's frustrating. First it was Claire, then Raymond. Everyone I genuinely care about, is being ripped out of my hands.' Allison huffs in frustration, gaining a shocked look from Y/N.

'Claire?' Y/N raises her eyebrows. Allison hesitates for a moment, looking away. 

'Claire is my daughter.' She finally admits. They disperse momentarily as a group of children run past, cheering and laughing, towards the play ground. A young girl catches Allison's attention; slightly behind, the little girl yells for other children to wait, pouting as she clumsily runs towards her peers. Y/N and Allison exchange looks, as they reunite onto the pavement, once again. Allison frowned at the sight, closing her eyes for a moment, to collect her thoughts.

'I haven't seen her in... Technically, a couple of years. And even when I come back...' Her voice drifts away, pondering whether she should tell Y/N everything, or not. 'Even when we get back into the correct timeline, I'm not sure if I'll get to see her, as soon, as I'd like to.' Allison admits, without giving too much away.

Her pressed lips and a thoughtful look gave Y/N a clear idea, not to push further on the subject. Allison and Y/N begin strolling along the Chestnut park, taking the chance to get to know each other better. Y/N was glad to share this moment with Allison; she found out more about their family, her career, the lavish life she experienced. Allison spoke about her role of being the Number Three in the Umbrella Academy, and mentioned some of the most memorable missions, whilst Y/N stared at her in awe.

Y/N knew they were a family of superheroes, but she never knew to what extent. It was interesting for her to hear about Diego and his successes, giving Y/N that fuzzy feeling in her stomach, every time her mind drifts to the man. Ultimately, Allison and Y/N reached the end of the park, with Y/N linking her arm with Allisons again.

'There's just one more thing I need to do. It won't take long and I'd like the company.' Y/N smiles sheepishly. Allisons arm tightens around Y/N giving it a comforting squeeze.

'I don't think roaming the city on my own would be a good idea. So, where we heading?' Allison smiles, her eyes still slightly reddish and puffy from crying.

'Flower shop. Then the cemetery, I need to visit my brother.' Y/N confesses, as her feet begin to drag along the pavement, towards the nearest florist. 'You know, the first thing I did, once I got into the Commission?' Y/N raises her eyebrow, curiously glancing at Allison. 'With the help from Herb, I buried my brother properly. In a cemetery, held a small funeral service, just me and the Priest.' Y/N faces the road again, her face and tone much more somber. 'It's the least he deserves, you know?' Y/N shrugs, creasing her eyebrows, giving Allison a quick glance.

'I know...' She sighs, turning her head back, she looked at the park; nothing but love and affection in her eyes.

\--------------------------------------------------

'Five! Why do I get the idea, that you're not taking this seriously!' Y/N huffs in frustration, as she tries to swing once more, only for Five to spatially jump out of his spot.

A few days have passed when Y/N approached Five, asking for his help and training. Considering each sibling, Y/N realised that Five would be of most help. Diego would instantly refuse, even to pretend fight with Y/N, much to her dismay. She'd love to perfect her knife-throwing skills, especially the last time proving, that she definitely lacked in the area. Yet, Diego was adamant about his decision; something about her getting hurt, just strikes a chord with him. Luther, although thrice the size and power, was a huge softie, a pacifist, who would use his powers, only when necessary. So, when Y/N approached him with the question, he almost choked on his cereal. Vanya didn't know how to fight, nor she needed to, Allison agreed to help, only if no one else would assist Y/N. Which, ultimately, left Y/N with Klaus and Five. Five was an obvious choice of the two, considering his experience with the Commission, and general fighting skills. And Klaus... Well, Klaus was, _Klaus._

'Y/N, focus.' Five reprimands Y/N, jumping besides her and giving the back of her head a firm smack. He jumps again, crossed legged on the coffee table in front. Y/N hisses in pain, as she rubs the back of her head, a weak attempt at reducing the ache.

'On what?' She groans, stabilising herself and raising her fists, encouraging Five to continue. He sighs, rolling his eyes pressing his fingers into the bridge of his nose.

'You're doing it wrong.' Five scolds Y/N again. 'If you did this in an actual fight, you'd get tired. Eventually, the opponent will tire you out, and strike you at your weakest.' He begins to lecture Y/N.

'It's not about the physicality of it, it's patterns.' Five spatially jumps next to Y/N, giving her a strong shove. Y/N clumsily collapses on the bed, her auburn hair draped across her face. Blowing it out of her view, Y/N huffs in frustration.

'You need to see the pattern. We all have a pattern, a way of fighting. Once you get it, you'll be able to calculate your opponents next move in an instant.' Five steps closer, stretching his hand out for Y/N to grab. She reluctantly accepts, as Five pulls her up with remarkable ease.

'Don't focus on your next move, focus on mine.' Five points a finger at Y/N, as he jumps again. He jumps to the left of her, kicking her calf, as she collapses onto the floor. Fixing herself quickly, she jumps back up, but Five is gone from the spot. Reappearing on her other side, he swings his left hand going straight for her stomach. Y/N heaves at the impact, bending over to catch her breath, much to Five's disappointment.

'Everyone becomes predictable, eventually.' Five advises, before jumping to another spot. Y/N swears under her breath, mentally kicking herself. She had training before, she's not new to it. Like always, Five is right. However, she simply cannot get into the right set of mind. Taking a deep breath, she thought about Five's moves so far; see the pattern and calculate their next move.

Chest still heavy from the last hit, she straightens her back; she swiftly turns around, just in time. Five's foot appears right in front of her face, as he attempts a roundhouse kick. For the first time, Y/N succeeds, holding his foot in her grasp as a trophy. Her smile is big with pride, eyes glimmering as she slowly releases Five's foot. Big mistake.

'I did it, Five!I act-ack!' Her victorious moment cut short, as the same foot comes for her again, this time kicking her right in the chest. Feeling all the air leave her lungs, Y/N gasps as her view becomes momentarily hazy, making her collapse once again.

'Jesus, Y/N.' Five groans in frustration. 'Do you think Lila would let you bask in glory?' He runs his fingers through his hair, as sweat begins to form on his forehead. Panting, he approaches Y/N, who slowly began to sit up; her face is bright red; whether its embarrassment or lack of oxygen, Five couldn't tell.

One thing that gave away, was her averted gaze, as her teeth started ripping pieces of skin off her lips. The very first time Y/N approached Five with her request, he knew that there was a specific reason behind it. That's why she begged Diego to help her with her accuracy, Luther with handling an individual with super strength and Five with fighting someone with the ability to jump through space. Something that Y/N dreaded, ever since Lila jumped with the briefcase.

Was it jealousy? Or the fact that Y/N was insecure enough to believe, that the second she shows up, Diego will slip from her grasp and into Lila's embrace? She'd like to think that it was simply her duty to hunt her down and stop her, but she wasn't fooling anyone.

'I don't know what you're talking about..' Y/N mutters as she tries to catch her breath. Five sticks his hands into his pockets, a dry chuckle coming out of him, as he shakes his head.

'I can't decide what's more pathetic; your fighting skills or your ability to lie.' He replies teasingly. Dragging his feet along the carpet, he turns around and drops onto one of the chairs, his foot continually tapping against the floor.

'I commend you for wanting to learn and improve. However, you wanted me to take it seriously, but you're all over the place.' Fives tone rather stern as he stands up, waving for Y/N to get up and continue.

'Lila is exceptionally trained. However, she can let her emotions get the best of her.' Five pauses, as Y/N slowly staggers up, fixing her clothes she gets into position, again. 'You find her emotional weakness, understand her pattern and you'll be able to defeat her. With or without the use of her powers.' He concludes.

Y/N inhales once more; muting all the disruptive thoughts, she rolls her shoulders and nods for Five to continue. Lips pressed tightly, he observes her face before jumping from the spot. They train for a couple of hours, both bathed in pools of sweat; slight bruising formed on Y/Ns cheek, as Fives lower lip began to swell.

Slowly, yet steadily Y/N started to improve, either defending herself from Five's attacks or counter-attacking him successfully. Jumping behind her, Five tries to kick her in the back once more. However, Y/N catches his foot from behind, twisting it and tossing him to the side. A loud thud and a clank of glass echoes across the room, as he slams into the wall.

Groaning and rubbing the back of his head, he doesn't hesitate much longer, disappearing once again. This time Y/N has learnt her lesson, turning her head enough to see him appear on her left. Before he can do anything, Y/Ns left fist rockets towards his head, connecting to upper side of his face. Five staggers back a couple of steps, as the view in front of him turns blurry, only a faint shadow moving closer towards him. His right eye suddenly blocked by warm liquid, making his vision all the worse.

'Oh my God, Five! Your eyebrow!' Y/N exclaims rushing to Five's aid. She gently presses a finger against the cut, only for Five to yell out in pain, swatting her hands away from himself.

'I'm going to get ice, I've got some sewing equipment, the cuts pretty deep.' Y/N rushes to her belongings, messily scattering them on her bed. After some resistance, Five eventually lets Y/N to take care of his injury. Followed by a neat needle work, Y/N wipes away the excess blood and carefully dabs the cut with rubbing alcohol, gaining yet another hiss.

'These are dissolving medical threads. You should recover nicely. Again, sorry.' Y/N mumbles, as she begins to put away the items.

'That wasn't a bad punch.' Five shrugs, his features softening as he glances up at Y/N.

'How about you go see the others, and I'll get you some ice and a nice cup of coffee? As a thank you.' Y/N offers, leading him out of her room.

'Ice sounds great. Coffee sound even better.' He gives her a tight-lipped smile. 'Should we schedule another training session?' Five points at their injuries, attempting to raise his eyebrow, only to groan in pain.

'God, no.' Y/N chuckles, before turning on her heel and exiting her room.

\--------------------------

A cup and a bag of ice in her hand, Y/N returns from her trip only to bump into no other, but Diego.

'Diego!' Y/N exclaims, moving the cup of coffee away from the two, in hopes it won't spill.

The evening sky was set in different hues of blues and purples, the sun gradually slipping into darkness at the end of the horizon. The light above the room door shone brightly, illuminating every detail of Diegos and Y/Ns face. Illuminating Y/Ns light cuts and bruises, as well as Diegos increasingly angry expression.

His face darkened, jaw clenched tightly, as his hands curled into fists, pressing firmly against his sides.

'Who did this to you?' His voice was hoarse and low.

'Me and Five-' Before Y/N could finish, Diego quickly turned to the door, his eyes burning and his lips pressed tight.

'That psychopathic bastard! What was he thinking?' He almost yelled out, as Y/Ns free hand grabbed one of his wrist. With all her strength, she had to haul Diego towards her.

'Diego, wait!' She hissed, her grasp tightening on his wrist. She can feel his arm tensing, veins and muscle stretching under her touch. Diego was furious, absolutely livid. Y/N could hear his teeth grind, making her flinch at the sound.

'You refused to train me, so I asked Five!' Y/N begins to plead, her grasp slowly softening, as her thumb begins to circle in soothing motions, in hopes it will calm him down. 'Might be hard to believe, but he actually came out looking worse.' Her eyes creased in amusement, as she tried to alleviate the tension. Diego glares intensely for a moment, searching Y/Ns face.

'So you've beat him?' His tone more playful, as his features relax, corners of his mouth twitching up.

'Uhh... Sure.' She shrugs, smiling sheepishly. She's not sure if that counts as beating him, especially after she took at least six consecutive punches to the stomach, prior that. Giving her one of his genuine, rare grins, he clasps her shoulders; leaning in he pecks her forehead and the tip of her nose, eventually travelling to her lips.

'Atta girl!' He praises her, as she suppresses a hiss, each time his fingers press harder into her shoulders. Feeling like an over-kneaded dough, Y/N was afraid to take off her shirt that night. What scared her more, is Diego seeing what her and Fives training done to her body; decorated in bruises, the view would give Diego a heart-attack.

Bringing herself out of her thoughts, her eyebrows crease. Giving Diego a suspicious look, she looks down at his attire. Draped in knives, and dressed completely in black he didn't seem to be out, just to enjoy the evening sky.

'And where were you, Diego?' She pulls back out of his grasp, giving him a cold stare. His gaze shifts elsewhere, shifting in his spot he begins to stammer.

'I, I was looking.. Around. Checking for any possible danger.' He mutters quietly, Y/Ns stern stare never leaving his face.

'Diego..' Y/N groans, her free hand cupping his face, gently turning it so he could look at her. 'In this place, we're perceived as Danger. You gotta be careful.' She warns, yet her voice is soft and comforting. She gently strokes Diegos cheek; he turns to kiss the inside of her palm, making her smile.

'I know.. Old habits.' He shrugs, giving her palm another kiss. Turning her hand, he gives each knuckle a gentle peck. They're slightly bruised and dotted in little cuts, something Diego kisses attentively.

'Old habits?' Y/N ponders for a moment. 'You're not trying to save the current president, are you?' She creases her eyebrows, remembering his short-lived obsession with JFK.

'Wait? The president's in danger?' Diego shoots back, perplexed.

'Get inside.' Y/N chuckles, gently shoving Diego towards the door. He slightly opens the door, only to pause and turn around.

'You would tell me, if the president is in danger, right?' He gives her a thoughtful look.

'You'd be the first.' She smiles, pushing him further into the room.

\--------------------------------------------

One thing that made Y/N happy every morning, was waking up in her own bed, with Diego quietly snoring next to her. At this point any sound he made, every groan and mumble he'd let out in his sleep, sounded like a beautiful melody. Perhaps, Y/Ns favourite, was waking up with him in her arms; his head carefully pressed against her chest, as one of his hands rested on her torso. She would engulf him in her warm embrace, squeezing him gently, every time she'd open her eyes.

Her other hand would stroke his hair, her fingers brushing across the brown locks, something Diego found soothing and calming, but was too shy to admit. Weirdly enough, he felt safe in Y/Ns embrace. It wasn't the typical type of safe, as he'd be the one protecting her, than the other way round; not because she couldn't, but at this point, he'd rather risk it all, than put her in danger.

He felt safe from his thoughts; from years of abuse he experienced under Hargreeves, from his own hatred for the outside world, hell, even from feelings of doubt, which occasionally crawled into his mind. He felt emotionally secure, as if every dark thought skimming through his mind, would be pushed away by Y/Ns gentle hand. That's how he felt, and that's how he knew, that he cared for Y/N more and more, each day.

It would be oblivious, not to state the obvious, though. Each night spent together, and each morning in each others arms, did built the sexual tension, that was already oozing out of the two. A longing goodnight kiss, or the morning wood firmly pressed against Y/Ns leg, it was driving the two of them insane.

Y/Ns kisses were sensual; her soft lips grazed along Diegos neck, sending shivers down his body. Planting hot kisses on his chest and stomach, paving way for something unforgettable. His hands weren't good just with the knives, too. How they searched her body, the tip of his long fingers brushing underneath her night dress, against her stomach and up her breasts, teasingly caressing her nipples.

He also loved stroking Y/Ns thighs, running his hands up and down them and cupping her firm ass; pulling her closer, to feel all of his excitement. Each time, they were close to ripping each others clothes off and immersing into the passion, they've accumulated for each other. What was holding them back? Surprisingly, Five.

It's nothing personal; Five and rest didn't go well together, so much so, he wasn't sure when it was an appropriate time for him to intrude. He was absolutely relentless; filling in notepads with equations and calculations, trying to think of a better route home. Many theories were discussed by the family table late at night and in the early hours of morning, as the fed up siblings kicked him out for making too much noise.

He enjoyed talking to himself, though; hell, he'd be the only one who understands. Thus, it wasn't shocking that once things would get heated between Diego and Y/N, Five would be at their door, banging repeatedly against it.

'Let me in, this is important!' Five pleads behind the door. Y/N groans mixed with pleasure and frustration, as Diegos lips captured hers, muffling any sound she made. It was one of those nights again, where the two of them, desperate for each others touch, naively believed that they'll finally have some piece.

'Diego..' Y/N inhales sharply as he softly bites her neck, his hand moving down her body, giving her bottom a tight squeeze.

'No, Y/N. He can stay outside.' He groans himself, as he presses his forehead against hers, panting slightly. The knocking starts once again.

'Y/N! Diego! It's urgent.' Fives tone more agitated, than the first time. 'I'll jump inside, you know I can!' He threatens.

Diego quickly pulls away from Y/N; reaching for his knife from under the pillow, he throws it at the door. 'Go away!' Diego yells out.

'Let me open the door, perhaps he's got something important.' Y/N tries to shift in the bed, but Diego suddenly jumps back, pulling her onto his lap.

'The knife should do the trick. Look it's already quiet. Now where were we..' His voice trails, as he begins to kiss Y/N down her neck.

'Actually, the knife did jack shit.' Five jumps into the room.

'Jesus!-' Y/N yells out, jumping away from Diego and almost collapsing onto the floor, thanks to Diegos quick reflexes, he catches her in time. Clumsily climbing out off the bed, Y/N fixes her night dress and pulls on a robe, she found at the motel room. Diego clenches his jaw, his glare fixated on his brother, as one of his hands looks for the bedsheets, quickly, yet covertly covering his erection.

'I'm sorry, if I interrupted something.' Five gives Diego a shit-eating grin.

'Bullshit.' Diego shoots back, resting against the headboard. Giving Diego a bored look, Five averts his attention to Y/N.

'We need to go back to 1960s.' He states, his eyes bloodshot from being awake for too long, yet still burning with energy.

'Okay...' Y/N narrows her eyes. 'Now?' She raises her eyebrow, anticipating a negative answer.

'No, not necessarily.' Five shakes his head, his left hand firmly pressed against his chin. He disappears from the room, Y/N and Diego sharing a confused glance.

'Was that it?' Diego mumbled, clearly displeased.

'No, you moron.' Five jumps back into the room, two hot cups of black coffee in hand, the strong smell filling the room almost immediately.

'I need Y/N awake for this.' Holding coffe and a notebook under his armpit, Five trots towards the table, plopping on one of the chairs. 'I tried looking for a possibility to simply jump back into our timeline.' Five begins talking, much to Diegos dismay. 'Can't say I'm completely confident, but surely nothing could be worse than this... Well, another apocalypse, actually.' Five continues mumbling, presumably to himself, as the door handle begins spinning.

'Guys. I can't sleep! Every time I close my eyes, an old Russian lady is feeding me borscht, and I don't like it!' A familiar voice is heard behind the door, as they begin scratching at it, like a cat in heat. 'I heard Five in there, let me in!' Klaus begs, continuously scratching the door.

'I know this is annoying, you'll have to let me in, eventually!' Diego glares at the door, shifting his gaze to Y/N, who creases her eyebrows and points for him to get the door, smiling apologetically.

Calming down from their previous moment, Diego jumps up from the bed, grabbing a pair of trousers and putting them on, he regretfully shuffles towards the door.

'Let me in, you guys! The neighbours started to wake up, and they don't look happy!' Klaus yells, as Diego has opened the door for him mid-sentence. 'Oh, good morning. Diego!' Klaus smiles, pushing past his annoyed brother.

Like Five, his hands were occupied; however, unlike Five, they were occupied with stacked glasses, and a bottle of tequila, that was securely placed under his armpit. 'I had my siesta, now time for a fie-.' Klaus is rudely interrupted by a pillow flying straight to his face.

'That's not fair, brother. My hands were busy!'

'I know.' Diego falls onto the bed, covering his his head with a pillow. 'If you bother me, I'll throw one of my knives at you. And you know, I don't miss.' He grumbles, yet his voice is muffled by the pillow.

'Yeah, yeah. Goodnight.' Klaus rolls his eyes. He catches Y/N stare, and brightens up immediately. 'Come on, my sweet Y/N. A few shots of tequila, won't hurt you! ¡Ándale! Let's meet the sunrise together!' Klaus claps excitedly, once he places his belongings on the table. Five glances over his shoulder, and then to the table. He ponders for a moment, pressing his lips tightly.

Five grabs his cup of coffee, downing the remains in one gulp. Wiping his mouth, with his sleeve, he grabs the bottle of tequila, pouring a hefty amount into his cup, almost up to the rim. He casually looks at Klaus, bottle still in hand.

'You're gonna drink some, or what?' Five raises his eyebrow.

'Oh, yes please!' Klaus grabs a glass, and gleefully pushes it out for Five to pour in the agave goodness. Slumping next to his brother, he glances over his shoulder. Y/N sighs, tightening the robe, as she shuffles towards the table, placing herself in front of the brothers.

Rubbing her eyes, she glances at Five who continues with his theories. A soft nudge brings her attention, as Klaus waves a bottle and an empty glass at Y/N. She pauses for a minute, before she gives in. Klaus gives her a big smile, a set of perfect teeth proudly peaking out of his lips. He winks as he slides the half-filled glass of tequila to Y/N.

'Right. Let's get back on track, shall we?' Five clasps his hands, rubbing them, as his eyes skim through some of his written work. 'If we begin with 1960s, we can get to Klaus and then move onto the rest, ending with Vanya...' Five begins his discussion, his voice drifting away into the night, as in the far horizon, the sun starts to slowly appear, bringing in a new day with her.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a slow burn, I know, thus I want to sprinkle some 'spicy' sentences here and there. 
> 
> It's always a joy writing the other siblings, especially Klaus. Bless his socks.
> 
> Comments, suggestions, advice, whatever is strongly encouraged and greatly appreciated!  
> P.S. The president in the story, is DEFINITELY NOT TRUMP. Thank you for your attention!
> 
> Enjoy! <3


	19. 100% Pure Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Five and Y/Ns missions come to fruition, however tensions rise as momentarily, family divides into two. An unexpected visit from Lila, startles Diego. Y/Ns secret is finally out, but Y/N and Diego finally sleep together.
> 
> TW; Swearing, descriptive sexual content.
> 
> I understand that some may feel uncomfortable with sexual content, therefore I have marked the beginning and end with '***'. This way, the reader can skip the part.
> 
> Enjoy!

As the days went by, Five and Y/N began travelling back to the 1960s, investigating and tweaking certain events, in hopes that they'll return their family to the correct timeline. They had their work cut out for them, though; doing their best to avoid their past selves, in order to not go through Paradox Psychosis, which definitely wasn't easy. Y/N was experienced enough, and Five just doesn't seem like the person, who would handle homicidal rage well.

Essentially, it felt like a game of chess; Five and Y/N had to play the game against the time, indirectly directing siblings a different route than before, in hopes that they'll succeed. Five knew the most obvious solution, however it was almost impossible to achieve it. If they hadn't gone after their father, if they didn't act like the usual, dysfunctional selves, perhaps they would be back in the right time. Perhaps.

Going back, meant that it was possible for the Handler to be alive, thus Lila's interference was inevitable. A single mistake, and Five and Y/N would become Commission's target. _Again._

Eventually, with Herb's blessing, Five got the hold of Y/Ns briefcase, allowing for him to travel and work on his own. Going back to the 1960s meant going back and seeing Y/Ns deceased brother, Elliott. And the more they've visited, the harder it became for Y/N to cope.

Each time, they got closer to the fateful event, as she would occasionally stare into his window from a distance, sweating profusely, an emptied bottle of water in hand. She knew her past self was close, she recalled those days vividly with a smile, which suddenly would turn into an aching frown. And Five saw Y/N crumple inside, each time. What they had with Elliott, was something that his family could've learnt from. Also, Five knew what it felt like losing a sibling; and he definitely knew what it felt to see a deceased sibling alive.

So, Five didn't decide to go on his own out of malice; it was mutual understanding. Y/N was a decent agent, of course there is always room for improvement, but in the end, he knows she'd be a great ally. However, re-living the same events can take its toll and Five knew that Y/N doesn't deserve that suffrage. He was confident enough, that if in need, he can easily rely on her. By now, she was practically a family member, and Five couldn't be more proud.

After a successful operation, Five returned to the same spot Y/N used for travelling. Surrounded by trash containers, their ventures were practically invisible. Walking out of the spot, tapping his blazer to remove any dust and dirt, Five looks up, his eyes meeting with Y/N. Looking down, Y/N rested her elbows against the cool metal rails.

April was coming to an end, and a warm breeze of May was refreshing and calming. Dressed in black trousers and a white t-shirt, she gave Five a small wave and a tight-lipped smile.

'Every time I come back, you're always here. Why?' Five asked coolly, appearing from behind. He slowly walked besides her, placing the briefcase in the middle. Resting his elbows on the rail, he raises his eyebrow.

'I don't know. I guess I worry...' Y/N shrugs, her eyes fixated onto the horizon. Y/N, as a matter of fact, did worry. Five was more than capable of taking care of himself, but Y/Ns caring nature got the best of her. Each day or night, she'd stand and wait for a little glint of light at the end of the building, much to Diego's dismay. He'd rather have her by his side; considering their relationship, probably on top, too.

'There's nothing to worry about, Y/N.' Five shrugged, shifting his feet. 'Diego is someone you should worry about.' Five snorts under breath, prideful at his own remark. Y/N lightly nudges him, yet she's suppressing a laugh.

'I do.' She quietly admits. Ever since, Y/N would occasionally stay up at night, Diego started to use that time to snoop around and continue his vigilante work. He was swift, and he worked rather quietly. One thing he won't admit, however, was how he nearly got caught by Detective Patch. Deep down, he kind of wanted to. Nothing romantic, just feel of nostalgia. Diego was happy, that at least in this timeline, Patch was alive. Diego risked being caught by the Sparrow Academy, which Five and Y/N have warned many times before, as well. Considering there's a possible enemy around every corner, Five and Y/N knew that they had to be careful and pretty much invisible. But Diego is Diego. He is stubborn, he firmly believes in his work and Y/N, although worried, respects it and turns away every time he sneaks out the door.

'I just want for you, guys, to be back wherever you're meant to be...' Y/N exhales, stepping away from the rail and grabbing it with her hands, twisting her wrists, as she's getting increasingly nervous. 'It's...-' Y/N drops her head down. Giving it a short pause, she raises it again, glancing into a distance. 'I feel that something will happen. Something bad.' Y/N scrunched her nose.

'I've suffered through two Apocalypses. At this point there's literally nothing, that will shock me.' Five muttered, completely indifferent. Glancing over to Y/N, he noticed her biting her lip, as her right-hand is curled up in her hair, turning it and squeezing it between her fingers. By this point, he knew what that meant, and Five was certain that Y/N was getting anxious.

'We're a good team, Y/N. I'm sure that, whatever comes our way, we're going to be ready.' Five comforts Y/N with a quick tap on her shoulder. She nods to him in appreciation; Five turns around on his heel, takes the briefcase and starts walking towards the motel room. A sharp clang and a drop of something heavy startles the two of them. Bending over the rail, Y/N points her finger as a capsule has fallen out of one of the rain pipes. She averts her gaze to Five, who simply nods, jumping out of the spot and returning with the item in hand.

'I didn't expect anything from the Commission.' Five's eyebrows creased.

'Neither did I.'

\--------

Inside the room, everyone was present, except for Klaus. Vanya was reading a book, with Allison lounging next to her. Luther was invested into some TV drama, and Diego looked absolutely bored, carving something onto their dinner table.

'Do you have to ruin every table you come across?' Five remarks, walking towards the end of the room, and putting the briefcase in place.

'I'm bored shitless.' Diego mutters, still focused on work at hand.

'Why don't you use your free time for something useful? Finally, you could learn how to read and write.' Five quips, smirking. Diego stops carving altogether, shooting daggers at his brother. He glances at Y/N who is trying her best to suppress her smile. Y/N approaches, giving a quick kiss on Diego's temple.

'What now?' Diego looks down at Fives hand, holding a capsule.

'The Commission might have some useful information.' Five shrugs nonchalantly. Handing it to Y/N, Five gives her an encouraging nod. She glances at him, hesitating for a moment, before she turns the lid, letting the suppressed air out, quietly hissing through her fingers. Pulling out the letter, Y/N places the capsule on the table; sitting down besides Diego, she skims through it, her eyes narrowed in concentration.

Once she's finished with the content, she glances at Five and then to the rest of the siblings, her eyes stopping at Diego's. He looks back intensely, as if trying to read her mind. Fear? Concern? Yet, with a dash of hope? Whether it was good news or bad, Diego just couldn't quite make it.

'Y/N? Everything alright?' Allison shifts from her spot, concern written all over her face. Y/N slowly nods, clearing her throat she reads out the letter.

“ _Y/N. We have good and bad news. Following your and Five missions, we are happy to inform you, that the Infinite Switchboard is becoming fully functioning again. Thus, you are on a right track. Unfortunately, there is a growing unrest in the Commission, and I'd like to personally reach out to you, and warn you to be careful. Protect yourself and the Hargreeves family. Every step you take, be very cautious. They're everywhere. If something were to happen to me or Dot, just know that you are a great addition to our family. All of you be strong, stay together and protect each other at all cost. Communication may be sparse, but we'll keep in touch, as long as we can. Protect the family, and fix the timeline. All the best of luck, Herb_.”

Surprisingly to Diego, he wasn't wrong. Y/N glanced back at him again, with same emotions, as before. Diego did, what he felt was best to do; he leant in, pulling her closer to him, and pressing her softly against his chest. A steady beat of his heart was soothing enough for Y/N, to exhale and collect her thoughts. A comforting, caring and soft brush of his fingers, sent shivers down her spine, making her hum in content, his tender lips softly pressed against her temple. If Y/N was ever to receive uneasy news, it was best to receive it in a loved one's embrace.

'I don't get it.' Luther turns away from the TV. 'We just want to get back into our timeline, why are we the target again?' He creases his brow, completely perplexed.

'Half of the Commission wants me dead, brother. For obvious reasons.' Five shrugged, as he disappeared, and reappeared with a paper cup, filled with black coffee. Taking a long sip, he crunches his face. That's still not it. Accepting that he'll have to drink whatever he's got, he continues strolling around the room.

'Number one, I've killed AJ, Head of the Commission.' Five pauses as Luther, Vanya and Allison gasp at the revelation. Rolling his eyes, Five continues. 'I did what I did to save my family. Of course, I should've known better, that the Handler always plays it dirty.' He murmurs the last part into his cup, downing the rest of the liquid in one long slurp. 'Number two, the Handler herself. God only knows, if that Witch is alive.' Five stops turning to Y/N.

'The Handler has this whole-' Five waves his hand dismissively. 'Cult of Personality thing going on. So I'm not surprised that a fraction of the Commission would want us dead, too.' He concludes with a thud of a paper cup, slamming against the table. 'Any questions?' Five asks, sarcastically. Luther opens his mouth, but Vanya shakes her head for him to stop.

'Then there's the Sparrow Academy.' Y/N speaks up, pulling away from Diego. Entangling her fingers with his, she gives him a soft squeeze. 'From what I know, your father is an unpredictable man.' Y/N continues, glancing at each sibling once more, who nod in agreement. Most of them look away; a look of sadness, betrayal, the memory of their deceased brother looking down on them. 'He's got tabs on all of you, and I can bet money, that the Sparrow Academy is waiting for us to mess something up.'

'So we just have to hide, until it's all over?' Allison groans, leaning back into the arm chair. 'This is hopeless.' She huffs.

'Not entirely.' Y/N intervenes. 'Like Herb said, the Infinite Switchboard is starting to work again. That means we're doing something right. A couple of changes here and there, and things should be back to normal!' Y/N tries to encourage everyone, to no avail. Before the awkward pause would make everyone super uncomfortable, Klaus bursts into the room, with a box of, what seems to be, expensive champagne. A fancy cowboy hat decorates his beautiful curls, a perfect accent to the long leathery ensemble; making him look like a glamorous and campy undertaker.

'Why the long faces, my pretties?' He stopped in his steps, as everyone looked not like he expected.

'Is that a Gladys Tamez hat?' Allison leant in, in her chair, suspiciously eyeing her brother.

'Why yes, Allison. Thought that my little starlet sister will recognise this designer!' Klaus drops the champagne on the nearest chair, tipping his hat at his sister.

'Those things can cost thousands, Klaus. Is this real?' She jumps from her seat, to take a closer look. The rest of the family exchange confused glances.

'Nice hat, I guess...' Luther shrugs, not understanding what's the big deal.

'No, no, Luther. Guys... This is an original, they can cost around a couple of thousand dollars!' She glances back at her brother. 'What the hell did you do to have this much money? Did you steal the hat? Oh my God, please tell me you didn't sell, like a kidney, or something...' She groans, walking back and slumping on her chair.

'My kidneys are way too damaged to be sold, trust me, I've looked into it.' Klaus chuckles, fixing his hair. 'I... Talk to dead people... For money.' Klaus admits, sheepishly.

'What? Since when?' Diego crunches his face.

'I thought you preferred not to do that.' Vanya chipped in.

'Yes, I don't like talking to the dead. Blah, blah, blah. But Dallas changed me!' Klaus strolled towards his box of champagne, pulling one bottle out. Staggering towards his siblings, he starts to open the bottle. 'I've realised, I can do so much with it! With just a little bit of rum and adderoll!' The bottle pops in Klaus' hand, spilling all over the carpet. Luther groans, as Vanya scoffs at his words.

'Adderoll? Klaus, that's not meant to be taken with alcohol. You can seriously harm yourself.' Vanya scolds him. He giggles at her words, taking a hefty sip from the bottle. He tries to hand it to Luther, who vehemently refuses. Shrugging, he turns on his heel and passes it to Allison, who with much reluctance, decides to take it.

'New York is filled with crazy, rich people willing to pay thousands, and thousands of dollars just for a little chat with their deceased family. And I am actually, legitimately good at it!The true Seance! The real deal! The shizzle! The eh.. You get the point.' Klaus shrugs plopping next to Luther, making the bed squeak at the impact. He points his index finger for everyone to wait, as his other hand searches his coat pocket. Pulling out a large amount of cash, he waves it in front of his siblings.

'All that and it's been only a couple of days.' Klaus states proudly. 'I've got a surprise for you, actually. Hence, the Dom Perignon!' He points at the box. 'You guys are gonna love me for this, by the way.' Sharply inhaling and closing his eyes, he taps his thighs as a drum roll.

'I've rented out a place for us outside the city! Woo! Pool, really private, lots of rooms. We got it for a month, but if this little business venture of mine will work, then we can definitely stay there longer!' Allison and Vanya exchange excited glances.

'I want to get out of this place so bad. Klaus, I can't believe it, but oh my God, you're amazing?!' Allison laughs, jumping from her spot and into Klaus' embrace. They both share a gleeful giggle, as Five and Y/N exchange a worried one.

'Well don't get too excited, we might be going home soon.' Five mutters, taking the bottle of champagne out of Allisons grasp.

'Five is right, if all goes well you can be home by the end of the month.' Y/N smiled. Klaus glances at Allison and frowns.

'What? No, no, no. We can't leave. Not now! I'm actually the successful sibling for once! Let me bask in my own glory!' Klaus begins to plead.

'Actually, I'm with Klaus.' Diego interrupts.

'What!?' Both Y/N and Five yell out.

'Diego, you can't be serious. You know that this isn't the place for you and your family.' Y/N warns.

'Y/N, but think about it. We can start something here. We could stay, start everything over...' Diego takes Y/N face in his hands, hesitating to admit his real reason. 'I can see Patch alive and well here, and since it's my fault that she died, I get a second chance. And seeing her happy here changes a lot of things; I am happy. And I want to share that happiness, with you.' Diego creases his eyebrows, his voice soft and gentle. It sounds genuine.

'No way in hell. I haven't seen my daughter in years, I'm not staying here!' Allison jumps up, stomping her foot. She glances over to Luther who nods in agreement.

'I agree with Allison, we have to go back.'

'Oh surprise, surprise.' Diego squints at the two of them. 'Vanya-' He glances at his other sister. 'Thoughts?' She looks surprised, her fingers pressing into the arms of her chair. She stammers slightly, trying to decide what to say.

'I, I don't know. I've got nothing to lose. Also..'Vanya presses her lips in thought, shifting in her seat. 'If I stay here, it means I've never written that book.. Which, is good, I guess?' She shrugs.

'That happened, Vanya and that's okay. But our home isn't here, I mean even our dad isn't our dad any more!' Luther tries to assure Vanya.

'This is getting ridiculous..' Five mumbles to Y/N, sticking his hands into his pockets. Tension began to rise again, as everyone has a case to plead, not wanting to hear others opinion.

'I just can't believe, that you wouldn't agree with me..' Diego whispered in Y/Ns ear, making her push away and groan.

'Diego, time doesn't work like that!' Y/N rubs her face, trying to calm herself down. Frustration builds at the pit of her stomach, her breath increasing. She tries to control it, but she's gradually failing. 'There is a possibility that there's another version of you, all of you in this timeline.' She points at the siblings, gaining a confirming nod from Five. 'God knows where the Hell all of you are, and what you do, but you simply cannot be here!'

'We'll just move elsewhere! Outta the way of the Sparrow Academy and everyone else.' Diego refuses to back down.

'For Goodness sake, Diego, don't be an idiot!' Y/N begins to yell. 'Me and Five didn't work out asses of for nothing!' She gets up from her seat, making the chair fall behind her. 'You think it was easy going back in time, trying to find the correct timeline there, too?' Running her fingers through her hair, she tries to inhale and exhale, but her emotions have reached their limit.

'Wars happened, apocalypse happened, and we had to take that shit and sort it out!' Five approaches Y/N, raising his hand for her to stop. His eyes are much more understanding, though. He gives her an apologetic smile, and taps her on the shoulder.

'Oh, so I'm an idiot?' Diego jumps up, hurt by Y/Ns remark. There were plenty times he's been called an idiot, so much so, that he didn't care about it as much. However, Y/N saying those words, gave it a completely different meaning, a new emphasis and the word began to hurt like hell. The one person he thought he could rely on, despite whatever may be happening is now calling him an idiot, undermining his opinion.

'Diego... I didn't mean it like that.' Y/N sighs, shaking her head.

'Oh yeah? Because it sounded like you did.' He begins walking towards the door, but Y/N stops him in his steps.

'Come on, Diego. I'm sorry, you're not an idiot..' She tries to apologise, but sudden rush of blood made a buzzing noise in his ears, silencing her words. Gently pushing her away, he bolts trough the door, the slam of the door making everyone in the room jump. Y/N tries to go after Diego, but Five jumps in front, holding his hands in the air for her to stop.

'He's a hot head, Y/N. He'll calm down and he'll get over it. Trust me.' Five tries to calm Y/N down. Dropping her shoulders, Y/N slowly nods and glances back at the rest of the family.

'I'm sorry, you had to see it.' She mutters sheepishly.

'Oh, that was child's play.' Allison waves her hand, clearly unmoved by her brother's act. Feeling her body shut down, Y/N excuses herself, insisting that she needs to have some rest. She didn't leave empty handed, though. Klaus has forced a bottle in her hand, winking and reassuring that everything will be alright.

'I guess, we're moving tomorrow, then?' He quips.

Understanding that Y/N needs time to cool off in case she does any more damage, she strolls to her room, slumping onto her bed; she close her eyes, trying to fall asleep. Although content with their progress, little did Y/N and Five know, that once they started fixing the timeline, they became easier to find.

\---------------------

Diego had sneaked onto the motel roof, figuring out the building plan prior. He needed a moment alone, and he realised that he hasn't had one in a long time. Slowly inhaling and exhaling, Diego started to calm down. Although not one to admit it, but he had a short-fuse, and Y/N just got a glimpse of that.

Pulling his knees to his chest, he looked at the horizon. He messed up again. Diego lashed at Y/N, despite him being angry at himself. Could he be that selfish? Wanting to stay here, purely because Eudora was alive? It wasn't just that, but a huge part of it. At least he was honest with Y/N; he'd feel happier here, knowing that she's alright. Diego would be ready enough to move away, as long as that thought goes with him. Y/N could drop the Commission, the two of them going as far, as possible. Maybe they could travel to Europe, visiting Scandinavian countries; finding a small enough city, where he could be his usual self. Y/N could create clothing, or become a teacher, or she could even be his vigilante partner at night.

It came as a surprise to him, that he had planned so much. Being a lone wolf all his life, never would he expect to live is life with someone else. Well, there was a momentary glimpse with Eudora, and Lila.. Well, Lila was a different situation. He still cared for her, deeply. And although his love grew more platonic, he was still determined to help her, if he gets the chance. After an hour or so, Diego felt that he has finally calmed down and cleared his mind completely. Y/N apologised, and it was his turn to apologise. Y/N was doing her best to help him and his family, and his growing love for her, makes him all the more motivated, to make things right.

Diego was about to get up, as a dark shadow hovered over him. Expecting it to be Y/N, he stopped and waited for her to sit down, a small smile appearing on his face. A pair of cold hands covered his eyes, a soft voice whispering seductively in his ear.

'Guess who, wolf man?' A smooth British accent immediately brought Diego to the moment, as he realised who it was. Surprised at her presence, he was glad she didn't have him by his neck, considering how they parted the last time. Grabbing her wrists and quickly pulling them away, he turned his head, looking up to see the woman he thought of just moments ago.

'Wha-Lila, you're here..' He whispers. Slumping down next to him, she nudges him, hooking her arm with his.

'I've finally found you, little bugger!' She smiled, leaning in for a kiss. He slightly pulls away, his free hand holding her in place. Insulted by his actions, Lila jumps back, pushing him away.

'Whoah, what's all this?' She huffs, crossing her arms. Realisation hits her, as she raises her upper lip in disgust. 'Oh, you're fucking her now?' Lila asks, eyebrow raised. Diego glances at her, creasing his eyebrows, refusing to answer. She tries to read his expression, quickly jumping up and dropping in front of him, cross legged.

'So you love that dentist chair girl, then?' She desperately tries to pull an answer out of him. Glancing at her, he shifts his gaze away, slowly nodding. Making a vomiting sound, Lila jumps up, fixing her clothes. 'That's very inconvenient for me, sweetheart.' She wonders aloud, suppressing feeling of hurt, Lila bends over to meet his gaze.

'Your brother has killed not only my biological parents, but my adoptive mother, too. Five took everything away from me, Diego. And now you're pushing me away, too?' Lila scowls, her intense gaze piercing through Diego.

'I care for you, Lila.' Diego mutters, gaining a loud laugh out of Lila. 'You don't have to do any of this, let me be there for you. I know the shit you've been through.-'

'You don't know jack shit, Diego. I've got no one, you've got your stupid family and that stupid little girl.' She scoffs. 'Just because she joined the Commission doesn't mean she's suddenly important. She's nothing, Diego, she's rubbish. A powerless girl from the past, now why would you need someone like that?' Lila drops on her knees, although her tone bitter and cold, her eyes seem to be almost pleading. She needed Diego, in all ways possible. She needed his comfort and support, and his love would've been an added bonus. Anger started to rush in her veins, realising that she'll come out of this empty handed.

'I'm sorry, Lila, but I love Y/N. I've realised that I need a person to love me, who isn't like me. We've been through so much shit, we're damaged, we cannot built a relationship on that.' Diego shakes his head. 'We'll hurt each other, since we don't know better... And I don't want that for myself, and definitely not for you.' He glances up. Lila twists her mouth, her breathing increasing rapidly. She spits to the side of him, making him groan in disgust.

'Alright.' She slowly nods, getting up. 'Just know this, Diego.' She points at him accusingly. 'I'll track down Five, and I'll kill him.' She leans in once more, to see his face up close, as she says her words. 'And I will enjoy ripping your little rat to shreds, too. If I can't have you, no one will.' She pulls away. Before she leaves, she stops turning around, a malicious grin decorating her face.

'Oh, one last thing...' She forcefully pulls Diego up, her left hand cupping his chin and squeezing his face. Lila tilts his head to the side, leans in closer to his ear and whispers. Once she pulls away, she gives a condescending slap across his face, too hard for his liking, before she jumps and disappears into God knows where. Sensing Five nearby, she is able to jump without the briefcase, leaving shocked and angered Diego behind.

\---------------

A loud slam of the door startles Y/N making her jump, knocking her mug onto the table. A small drip of left over champagne spills out, yet she pays no attention to it. After what felt like hours of tossing and turning, Y/N felt intense and too anxious to fall asleep. However, she knew Diego needed space, considering Five's advice, she decided to let him be. Trying to find an alternative for relaxation, Y/N eventually decided to open up the fancy bottle of champagne, that Klaus happily handed to her.

The letter from the Commission, now slightly damp due to the spill, didn't make things better. She cared for Herb and Dot dearly, and she cared for those, who took the Commission's work seriously. It was an organisation, which fixes and maintains the timeline, and unrest within should simply not happen. Therefore, she was in a tricky position, too. Glancing up at the sudden intrusion of her room, she sees Diego, clenching his fists and panting.

His face twisted in a scowl, making Y/N gulp. Surely, he had enough time to cool down. Stomping towards Y/N, he glared at her, looking her up and down. Diego hadn't realised that the sun was setting, and time flew by, whilst he was on the roof. Now only a dark shade of yellows, blues and oranges decorating the sky, the room dimly lit by a single table lamp. The faint light did wonders to Y/Ns figure, as did the silk night dress, she wore. Perfectly accentuating her figure and curves, making Diego pause for a second. Before Y/N can open her mouth, he raises his index finger, stopping her.

'You're married?!' Diego almost yells out, surprised at the words coming out of his mouth. Y/N looks back, clenching her jaw and taking a sharp inhale. Her eyes transfixed onto his, shock written all over her face.

'Who told you that?' She tries to maintain her posture, but her increasingly sweaty palms are giving away her increasing anxiousness.

'Doesn't matter. Y/N, tell me, is this true?' He takes a menacing step forward; startling Y/N, she defensively takes a step back, maintaining her distance. Although she was certain that Diego wouldn't hurt a fly, she needed to be cautious; its common sense.

'I was married.' Y/N admits, resting her hand on one of the chairs for balance, as memories start to return to her. Doing her best to suppress the tears, she looks up, biting her lip. After a short pause, she looks at Diego, her eyes shinning with tears, threatening to pour out any minute.

'I'm no longer married, because they're gone.' Y/N affirms, her face gradually turning into a somber stone. Two years at the Commission, meant that she had plenty of time to try her best to forget Diego, especially when she failed to find him after numerous attempts. Diego's jaw could've dropped to the ground, and he wouldn't be able to pick it up. Although that day was full of revelations, he never expected to hear this. He knew that Y/N was away for much longer, and thoughts like that just never rushed his mind. Not that he never thought she couldn't find someone, it's just... Unexpected.

'W-w-why didn't you tell me?' He stumbles over his words, a growing uneasiness leaving a nasty taste in his mouth. In this moment he felt all kinds of emotions; anger, betrayal, shock and guilt. Scoffing at his question, Y/N crossed her arms, shaking her head. She kept looking away, because reliving those memories hurt her just as much. She was guilty, too. Y/N met her spouse at the Commission, where they were an analyst; helping her with the search of Diego and his siblings, which eventually turned their professional friendship into a romantic one. Maybe it was Y/Ns need to forget Diego, or frustration and desperation after every failed attempt, but her spouse became someone she can lean on to, eventually turning into something much more.

It never felt the same, as her love for Diego, but it helped her cope and gave her a sense of affection and care. Up until the tragic event, of course. After countless times of trying to move up to the operatives, Y/Ns spouse finally succeeded, starting off their first mission with their loved one. And that's where it all went south. Whether it was their lack of skills, Y/Ns spouse got in the middle of the shoot out in Medellin, 1989. A fatal shot to the stomach led to them bleeding out, in Y/Ns arms; only a mere month after they eloped.

Shuddering at the thought and the constant guilt Y/N has tried to suppress, it was the reason why Y/N was so reluctant to get close to Diego. He reminded her of the fact that she lost someone, and Diego was still the last thing on her mind; it reminded her of the guilt, she desperately tried to hide away.

'I'm going to ask you again, Diego.' Her tone is different, cold and sober. 'Who told you that?' She grasps tighter onto the chair, her eyes embedded into him.

'Lila..' He whispered, looking away. Taking a deep breath, Y/N moved her hands to her fingers, pushing hard; a futile attempt to calm herself.

'That's just great, she found us.' She spoke to herself. 'So, that's it?' Y/N asks. It came of no surprise, that Lila tried meddling with their relationship. Y/N expected this to happen, but not so soon, and not like this. Although, it does not surprise her one bit, a gradual fix to the timelines meant that it simply became easier to find them, other timelines eventually disappearing. Additionally, Lila was a sneaky fox; she knew her way around the Commission, better than anyone else. Her connections to the corrupted members of the organisation, gave her an even bigger advantage. Therefore, it didn't shock Y/N, that she was able to get such information, even if it was very well hidden.

Blinded by his emotions, Diego remained silent. He knew what her question meant, and he wanted to tell her that it wasn't like that. However, his stubbornness got the best of him, as he started pushing her further.

'I can't believe you got married..' He muttered under his breath, but it was loud enough for Y/N to hear.

'Two years, Diego.' Y/N held two fingers in front, getting increasingly agitated. She didn't want to talk about it, it simply hurt too much. Unfortunately, it was too late. 'Two fucking years. The last time we saw each other, you said you loved someone else. So what was I suppose to do?' She moved away from the chair, as her fingers curled into fists.

'I realised that nothing will happen between us, and that I had to forget you, Diego.' She took a small step forward. 'And you know the worst fucking part? Is that I loved you all this time!' Diego clenched his jaw at her words.

'I was with someone else, I tried to love them, so hard! Because it's what they deserved!' She began yelling, her breath getting stuck at the back of her throat. 'But every time I lied next to them, my mind drifted to you. Missing you and hoping that you're doing okay. I felt so incredibly stupid, because at the end of the day I loved a man, who loved someone else...' The last four words dropping to a whisper.

Tears began welling up at the corner of her eyes, as she felt hurt press hard against her chest. She stood there in front of Diego, admitting her love for him.

'To this day, I feel like an absolute shit. You know why? Because they died in my arms, trying to save my life. Whilst, I was crying and begging God to bring them back, I still thought about you. Wishing that this wouldn't happen to you, because that would ruin me completely.' Y/N panted, as she tried to do her best not to cry. 'I'll always blame myself for their death. And as stupid, as it sounds, I still love you the most.'

Searching for a release for her anger, she finds the tipped over cup on the table. Quickly snatching it away, she turns and throws it at the nearest wall, a sharp groan escaping her lips. Y/N is on a verge of breakdown, as her fingers return to her eyes, as if trying to hold the tears from escaping. 'I'm so fucking stupid...' She murmurs to herself. Inhaling, she holds her breath, slowly releasing her face.

Her vision is slightly hazy from her fingers pressing into her eyes; once it becomes clearer, she notices that Diego is much closer, his anger dissolving with each second. Although, reluctant, he takes another step, glancing at Y/N. This time his gaze is much softer, with a glint of surprise and longing, glimmering against the dim light.

'Y-y-you l-l-ove me?' He stutters quietly, only mere inches away from Y/N. Sheepishly glancing up, she slowly nods, her gaze suddenly darting away. Diego catches her chin with his right hand, gently cupping it and raising it to his level. His eyes linger on Y/Ns lips, his mouth suddenly pressing against hers.

Taken aback, Y/N gasps into his mouth, inhaling his scent, which immediately calms her, like an opiate; making her forget everything, and crave more of it. Y/N begins to kiss back, her hands carefully running up Diegos chest and around his neck. Diego deepens the kiss, his tongue gently brushing against her soft lips; she opens them, eagerly accepting it.

A soft moan escapes her lips, as Diego pulls Y/Ns closer, her body sculpted perfectly against his. Diego loved Y/N, and it was a fact. He did not expect her to feel that way, her admittance completely throwing him off of his balance. But despite all that, knowing that she truly loves him, made him feel ecstatic. Knowing that she cared for him deeply all this time, came almost like a brand new feeling. He felt important and loved, something he craved for some time. Despite the unfortunate circumstances, in this moment, Diego wanted only one thing; to show Y/N how much he loves her, and actions speak louder than words.

Diegos delicate fingers begin travelling up Y/Ns torso, caressing the side of her breasts with his palms, as he reaches her shoulders. He pulls away from Y/N, his forehead firmly resting against hers, as they both pant. Lips slightly swollen and glistening, as he begins kissing Y/N again. Clasping and stroking her shoulders, his hands crawl to her neck and back to her shoulders again, moving away one of the straps of her night dress. Realising where this is heading, Y/N slightly pulls away.

'You sure, you want to do this? What if they hear us?' Y/N asks, referring to his family.

'I dare them to try, and you'll see what happens.' Diego growls, his lips moving around Y/Ns jaw, leaving wet, hot kisses all over. Humming in pleasure, Y/N tilts her head, enjoying Diego's plump lips leaving trails on her neck. Glancing down, he swiftly pushes the other strap of her nightdress down, making it gracefully fall onto the ground. Stepping back, Diego looks her up and down, savouring in the moment.

***

Slightly dotted in small scars, it almost glowed, illuminated by the faint light in the room. His fingertips burned with need to touch her all over, as did his lips. Without hesitation, he returned to her body, one hand firmly pressed on her back, as the other searches and caresses her front. Kissing Y/N, his hand cups one of her breasts, his thumb slowly brushing against her nipple. Drawing out a moan, he smiles against Y/Ns lips.

Her hands suddenly begin to frantically search for his shirt, attempting to pull it over his head. She succeeds, as she drops it in a corner, pressing her body against his hot skin. The feeling was divine; Y/N felt like she could melt against his body, immersing herself into him completely. Every muscle twitched and moved against her nails, as she dragged them up Diego's back, sending shivers down it. He arched his back in pleasure, a soft groan escaping her lips. Pleased with his reaction, Y/N continued, her hands filled with need to touch him all over.

Feeling that he cannot take it any longer, Diego's hands slithered to Y/Ns bottom, cupping it and giving it a firm squeeze. Gaining a small giggle out of Y/N he lifted her up, her legs firmly curling behind his back. His hold was secure, as he tightly pressed her against him, his lips never leaving hers. Taking a couple of steps, he felt the edge of the bed against his knees. Bending over, he softly placed Y/N onto the mattress, carefully resting himself on top of her.

Leaning onto one of his elbows for support, Diegos lips began travelling down Y/Ns neck and towards her breasts. Giving each a couple of soft kisses, he took one in his mouth, his hot breath making Y/N tremble at his touch. His tongue moving up and down her nipple, giving it a gentle suck. Y/N closes her eyes, arching her back in pleasure. Her fingers intertwined in Diegos brown locks, as he started leaving a trail of wet kisses down her stomach. She gently tugs his hair, as he kisses her bellybutton and lower.

Glancing up, he sees a trail of his wet kisses along her torso; he gentle blows, hot hair tickling Y/Ns skin. She bites her lip, smiling she glances down at Diego, eyes full of love and want. Diegos fingers teasingly tug at the hem of her lace underwear. His hot breath bouncing off her crotch, making her core all the more hotter. She felt dampness seep through the fabric, making her blush.

Hovering over her bottom half, Diego leans in giving a soft peck on her pelvis. Both of his hands caress her hips and thighs, his index fingers hooking to the sides and slowly pulling her underwear off. Throwing it to the side, he looks down to enjoy the view.

Now standing up in front of a naked Y/N, his eyes fixated on her wet core, Diego begins unbuckling his belt, and unbuttoning his trousers. He pauses just to savour in the moment, but Y/N groans in anticipation.

'You're killing me, Diego.' She softly chuckles, glancing up to him. Y/N waves her finger, begging him to return to bed. Removing his underwear, he eagerly obliges, gracefully climbing on top of Y/N. Feeling his erection firmly pressed against her pelvis, Y/N leans in for another long and passionate kiss.

Y/Ns hands travel down Diegos chest, continuing his torso, until one of them reach the damp tip of his erect penis. Carefully wrapping her fingers around, she gives it a squeeze moving it up and down. Diego feels his breath get stuck at the back of his throat, hissing against Y/Ns neck. Her hand moves rhythmically, making him rock his hips at her movement. Feeling that this can end sooner, than expected, Diego moves Y/Ns hand, giving it a soft kiss.

'My turn.' He smirks, against her lips, giving her lower lip a gentle nibble. Diegos fingers lightly brush against Y/Ns folds, thumb pushing through them, caressing her clitoris. Her body tenses up, as Diego strokes her in all the right places. Closing her eyes, she bites her bottom lip in pleasure. Diego observes her face, grinning at her satisfaction.

He leans in giving her breasts a couple of gentle kisses, before he moves his hand from her crotch and up to his mouth. Diego licks his fingers and leans in to kiss Y/N. His tongue playfully brushing against hers, sharing her taste. Y/N found that arousing, never having experience that before. Both of them ached for each others touch, enjoying every single minute of it.

Caressing Y/Ns thigh, he pushes it slightly to the side, positioning himself in between. With much carefulness, Diego pushes himself inside Y/N, both of them releasing a soft gasp at the movement. He began moving slowly, his lips travelling around Y/Ns neck, as she whispers encouraging, sweet nothings. Diego began increasing his pace, as Y/N started moving her hips to match his speed. Softly moaning, she would occasionally call his name, telling him how perfect he is.

Y/N bucks her hips forward, her body threatening to release. Reading into her body language, Diego deepens his thrusts and increases his pace, ever so slightly; pleasantly rubbing her sensitive spot, with each thrust. Y/N reaches for Diegos back, digging her nails into it, as she feels her muscles twitch, seconds away from climax. Diego leans in pressing his forehead against her, their breaths mixing in; he gives it one last, deep thrust.

Y/N pushes her head against the pillow, her eyes closed shut, as she yells out Diegos name. Feeling her muscles pulse around his cock, he increases his pace, on the edge of release himself. Y/N clutches to his shoulders, as his increasingly intense pounding, makes her moan into his shoulder.

'Shit.' He mutters into Y/Ns hair, a drop of sweat running down his forehead. Feeling close to release, Diego pulls out, finishing off onto Y/Ns stomach. Hot, sticky liquid feels burning hot against her sweaty skin. Diego pauses, leaning in and giving a soft peck on Y/Ns lips. He then quickly jumps off the bed, bringing in a couple of wet wipes. Taking care of Y/N, he disposes of the wipes in the bathroom bin.

***

Diego returns to bed, covering himself and Y/N with a duvet. Y/N pulls herself against the headboard, resting her head against it, and inhaling deeply. Giving Diego a soft, tired smile, she stretches her hand, pulling Diego onto her chest, her quickened heartbeat suggesting that she's still recovering from their lovemaking.

Gently stroking his hair, she wipes sweat off of his forehead, as he smiles and hums against her chest, almost as if humming to the beat of her heart.

'That was fun, we should do it more often.' Diego smiles against her chest. Chuckling Y/N nods, one hand wrapped around his shoulders, while the other caresses his cheek.

'I'm sorry, I should've told you. Just didn't know how..' Y/N murmured, leaning in she kissed Diegos hair.

'I'm sorry for acting like an asshole.' Diego spoke back. A slight pause followed, the two of them enjoying each others embrace. 'Were you happy with that person?' Diego suddenly asks. Looking down, Y/N presses her lips in thought.

'I tried to be.' She answers bluntly. Diego hums in thought; pulling away, he shifts in his spot, so he's facing Y/N. Leaning on his elbow, he fixes a loose strand of hair, that was sticking to her slightly damp forehead. 'Not going to lie, the moment you've mentioned Lila, I thought this is it for us.' Y/N frowned. Gently taking her chin, he turns her to face him. Diego leans in, leaving a lingering kiss on her lips.

'This is just the beginning for us. I'll be with you, for as long as you want.' Still leaning in, he whispers against Y/Ns lips. Giving them another quick peck, Diego slowly pulls away. 'I'd love that...' Y/N grins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At first I thought of dividing this into two chapters, but since I've struggled with this story so much, I've decided just to post all of it in one chapter, instead. It took me long, because the pandemic is really getting into me, and I'm beginning to lose motivation.
> 
> This is my first time properly writing AND publishing a sex scene; I wanted to make it sensual and sweet, in contrast of how Lila and Diego done it. It is meant to reflect the tenderness of their relationship. I'm not sure if I've managed to portray that well, let me know.
> 
> I do hope you enjoy it, because after many chapters, they finally do it! Woo! People wait a couple of seasons for characters to kiss, so... Thank you, for your patience! Any constructive criticism and advice is very much appreciated! If you enjoy it, press Kudos and Until next time!


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